WALES

Disclosure of Information

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many civil servants in his Department have been subject to non-disclosure agreements in each year since 2010.

Stephen Crabb: None.

SCOTLAND

Disclosure of Information

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many civil servants in his Department have been subject to non-disclosure agreements in each year since 2010.

David Mundell: No civil servants in the Scotland Office have been subject to a non-disclosure agreement since 2010.

Property Development

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Office of Fair Trading on the use of land maintenance companies by property developers to reserve land for future developments in Scotland.

David Mundell: Scotland Office officials have regular discussions with the Office of Fair Trading on issues relating to Scotland.

TRANSPORT

A1: Nottinghamshire

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects construction work on the Elkesley bridge over the A1 to begin.

Stephen Hammond: The contract for the A1 Elkesley Junctions Improvement works on the Elkesley bridge over the A1 is programmed to be awarded later this year. This will mean work is expected to start on site at the turn of the 2013-14 calendar year. This scheme will take around 18 months to complete and progress will be posted on the Highways Agency website.

Aviation: Air Pollution

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to section 3.54 of the Aviation Policy Framework, whether the Airports Commission will assess the potential effect on (a) air quality and (b) EU air quality limits of each option for meeting the UK's international connectivity needs.

Simon Burns: The Government expects, in line with its terms of reference, that the Airports Commission will take account of environmental factors including air quality and EU air quality limits when reaching its recommendation.

Aviation: Northern Ireland

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will announce details of an aviation strategy for Northern Ireland.

Simon Burns: On 22 March the Government published its Aviation Policy Framework (APF). The APF outlines in Chapter 5 which areas of Aviation are reserved to Westminster and which are devolved to Northern Ireland. It was developed with input from the Devolved Administrations and outlines a strategy to benefit the whole of the United Kingdom including Northern Ireland.
	The Government has also recently responded to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee's “An air transport strategy for Northern Ireland Report” copies can be found in the House Library or online. The Government has no plans to develop a further aviation strategy that is unique to Northern Ireland at this time.

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency: Cumbria

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people are employed by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency in Cumbria; and what proportion of such people are paid at or above the living wage.

Stephen Hammond: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency employs 10 members of staff in Cumbria. All Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency staff are paid above the living wage.

East Coast Railway Line

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport by what means funding for the planned upgrade for the east coast main line will be delivered.

Simon Burns: Funding for the 2014-19 upgrade of the east coast main line will be delivered through the Office of Rail Regulation approving a £240 million increase in the value of Network Rail’s regulatory access base. Network Rail may then borrow up to this amount to fund the upgrade works.

East Coast Railway Line: Franchises

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration he has given to improvements in train services from London to Retford in planning the franchising of the East Coast Mainline.

Simon Burns: In developing the proposition for the future East Coast franchise the Department for Transport will consider both the current rail market and also potential growth and the benefits this growth could deliver to rail passengers across the franchise, including Retford.

East Coast Railway Line: Franchises

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to ensure that the (a) bidding process for the east coast main line franchise will not encounter similar problems to those experienced during the west coast main line bidding process and (b) the selected private sector operator will be able to deliver the service without public sector intervention.

Simon Burns: The Department for Transport has learnt lessons from the problems with the InterCity West Coast franchise competition, from the Laidlaw inquiry into lessons learned from the cancellation of the InterCity West Coast competition and from the Brown Review into Rail Franchising.
	The Department set out the actions it is taking in response to the Laidlaw inquiry, this can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/response-to-the-report-of-the-laidlaw-inquiry

Electric Vehicles

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what position the Government will adopt at the Council of the European Union on the mandatory installation of acoustic vehicle alerting systems on quiet hybrid and electric vehicles.

Norman Baker: During the early discussions in the Council Working Group, the Government supported the Commission’s proposal to allow vehicle manufacturers to voluntarily install acoustic vehicle alerting systems on electric and hybrid electric vehicles. Some member states are requesting this to be a mandatory requirement and I am considering currently whether to revise our negotiating approach in the light of these developments.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the estimated cost of re-running the consultation compensation is for High Speed 2 following the loss by the Department of the Judicial Review.

Simon Burns: We are considering how a future consultation on compensation should work in light of this one particular aspect of the judgment. At this stage it is not possible to say what the cost of re-consultation will be.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  when the new consultation on High Speed 2 (HS2) compensation on the Birmingham to London route will commence; and whether it will be co-ordinated with the consultation on the newly announced Y route of HS2;
	(2)  if he will list the differences between the consultation on compensation on the High Speed 2 London to Birmingham route and the new consultation that the Department will be running following the adverse Judicial Review judgment against his Department.

Simon Burns: We are considering the format, content and timing of the forthcoming HS2 property compensation consultation and will provide further information in due course.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of his Department's total budget will be taken up by expenditure on High Speed 2 (HS2) and HS2 rolling stock in each year from 2013-14 to 2020-21.

Simon Burns: The proportion of the Department for Transport's total budget taken up by High Speed 2 for the next two years is set out in the following table:
	
		
			  2013-14 2014-15 
			 HS2 total (£000) 366,947 442,510 
			 DFT total (£000) 13,645,008 13,440,692 
			 Proportion of DFT expenditure on HS2 (%) 2.69 3.29 
		
	
	Departmental budgets have not been agreed beyond this period.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the estimated costs are for the rolling stock for High Speed 2 for (a) Phase 1 and (b) Phase 2.

Simon Burns: Based upon current assumptions, the capital cost estimate for the rolling stock for Phase 1 is £3 billion at 2011 prices, including contingency. The capital cost estimate for the full network (Phases 1 and 2) is £8.15 billion at 2011 prices, including contingency.

Intercity Express Programme

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport by what means funding for the intercity express programme trains for service on the east coast main line will be delivered.

Simon Burns: Agility Trains is ultimately responsible for the financing strategy of both the IEP great western and east coast transactions. Agility Trains appointed a structuring bank group to deliver financial close for the great western element in July 2012.

Railways

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with transport authorities for the Northern, Transpennine and services in the Midlands on devolving responsibility for the provision of rail services in these areas.

Simon Burns: In discussions with Ministers, the integrated transport authorities have indicated their support for devolution and have signalled their intention to come forward with a proposition. Officials are in detailed discussion with passenger transport executives and local authorities as propositions are being developed.

Railways: Industrial Disputes

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 18 March 2013, Official Report, column 457W, on railways: industrial disputes, how much was paid by his Department as compensation for loss of revenue during industrial disputes in 2006-07.

Norman Baker: As my Answer of 18 March explained, the amount concerned is commercially confidential as it relates to a single payment to a single operator.
	I can however inform the hon. Member that the amount concerned was less than £250,000.

Shipping: Registration

Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress he has made on establishing a timetable for ratification of the Maritime Labour Convention; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Hammond: The UK will proceed with ratification of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 once the necessary changes to legislation have been made, with a view to achieving this before 20 August 2013.

Shipping: Registration

Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effect on the Government's one-in, one-out regulation rule on the ratification of the Maritime Labour Convention.

Stephen Hammond: The implementation of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 is outside the scope of the one-in, one-out (now one-in, two-out) which applies only to domestic legislation.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Biofuels

Guy Opperman: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  what tonnage of domestic biomass was used for energy generation in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012; and what estimate his Department has made of the likely tonnage in 2013;
	(2)  what the total amount of taxpayer-funded subsidy was on the tonnage of domestic biomass used in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012; and what estimate his Department has made of the likely level of subsidy in 2013.

Gregory Barker: Biomass-derived fuels can come in a variety of forms such as liquid, solid and gaseous form, but support through the RO is not measured in tonnes of domestic biomass versus imported biomass. It is therefore not possible to provide comprehensive data in this format.
	Ofgem collects specific sustainability information from generators claiming subsidy, including on the origin of the feedstock. See:
	http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Sustainability/Environment/RenewablObl/FuelledStations/ro-sustainability/Pages/index.aspx
	The following table describes the amount of ROCs biomass-derived generating stations received in the RO over the last two reporting years (including domestically-produced and imported), based on the Ofgem RO Annual Reports:
	
		
			  ROCs 
			 Biomass-derived technology type 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Anaerobic digestion 226,925 384,549 
			 Advanced gasification 127 3,033 
			 Co-firing of biomass 1,312,629 1,437,359 
			 Co-firing of energy crops 30,156 60,106 
			 Dedicated biomass 1,969,982 2,665,250 
			 Dedicated biomass with CHP 1,114,872 1,324,867 
			 Dedicated energy crops 60,988 33,132 
			 Dedicated energy crops with CHP — 8,175 
			 Electricity generated from sewage gas (where another fuel has also been used) 105,628 98,704 
			 Standard gasification 775 396 
			 Unspecified — 90 
			 Landfill gas 4,993,618 5,003,236 
			 Sewage gas 510,415 566,426 
			 Total biomass-derived 10,326,115 11,585,323 
			 Total for all renewable technologies 24,884,608 34,753,771 
		
	
	
		
			 £ million 
			 Value of ROCs (based on average ROC value of £51.34 in 2010-11 and £42.27 in 2011-12) 530 490 
		
	
	The likely cost in 2013-14 of the Renewables Obligation across all technologies is £2.6 billion in 2013-14 prices, based on the number of ROCs required of suppliers and the value of those ROCs. We expect biomass-derived generating stations to claim a similar proportion of total ROCs as in previous years.

Electricity

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to reduce electricity demand.

Gregory Barker: A number of Government policies such as Green Deal and the new domestic Energy Company Obligation are already aimed at reducing energy use. Following an assessment, first published in July 2012, as to whether further Government action was required(1), a consultation on additional options to encourage permanent reductions in electricity use was published in November 2012:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/options-to-encourage-permanent-reductions-in-electricity-use-electricity-demand-reduction
	This consultation closed on 31 January and analysis of responses is currently under way. A response to that consultation setting out the way forward for the electricity demand reduction project will be published in due course.
	(1) https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads /attachment_data/file/66561/7075-electricity-demand-reduction_consultation-on-optio.pdf

Electricity

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change by how much his Department's current policies are expected to reduce electricity demand (a) by 2018 and (b) by 2030.

Gregory Barker: The DECC Energy and Emissions Projections published in October 2012 provided information(1) on electricity demand in the absence of any Government policies and also demand taking into account the impact of Government policies. Based on these projections, the Department's policies are expected to reduce electricity demand by 59 TWh in 2018 and by 68 TWh in 2030.
	(1)( )https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/attachment_data/file/65719/6665-annex-c-final-energy-demand.xls

Electricity

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment his Department has made on the potential for reducing electricity demand (a) by 2018 and (b) by 2030.

Gregory Barker: Analysis undertaken with McKinsey in November 2012 suggested that there could be the potential for up to 36 TWh of reduction in electricity use in 2020, and up to 92 TWh in 2030 (equivalent to around a 25% reduction) across domestic, industrial and commercial sectors. The analysis provides a snapshot of 2020 and 2030, therefore a specific figure for 2018 is not available. This analysis is being refined in light of responses to consultation and an external peer review, and any changes to the analysis will be published as part of the Government response to our consultation on further options for permanently reducing electricity demand.

Electricity

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what consideration he has given to postponing (a) the Capacity Auction and (b) making capacity payments until the potential room for reducing electricity demand has been exhausted.

Gregory Barker: Given the potential risks to security of supply, the Government is minded to run the first capacity auction in 2014, for delivery in 2018-19.
	The Capacity Market is intended to be technology neutral and to reflect the contribution that all forms of capacity—including demand side response—can make to security of electricity supply. The Capacity Market will play an important role in incentivising active demand side response, and we are putting in place specific arrangements to enable the effective participation of demand side response in the mechanism.
	On electricity demand reduction a consultation was launched in November 2012 and closed on 31 January 2013. This included a number of policy options, one of which was inclusion of EDR in the Capacity Market. The responses to the Electricity Demand Reduction consultation are currently being analysed and a Government Response will be issued in due course, setting out what part, if any, EDR might play in the Capacity Market.

Electricity

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will bring forward legislative proposals to introduce an electricity demand reduction incentive.

Gregory Barker: A consultation on various options to encourage permanent reductions in electricity use was published in November 2012 and closed on 31 January. We are currently analysing the responses to that consultation and a Government Response will be published setting out a decision on the way forward in due course.

Fuel Poverty

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what proportion of household income was spent on fuel in (a) England and (b) Northern Ireland in each of the last three years.

Gregory Barker: Data on weekly expenditure on fuel is available from the Living Costs and Food Survey, run by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Data from this survey covers a three year period, such that the last three sets of figures represent an average of the 2007-09, 2008-10 and 2009-11 periods. By dividing the average weekly spend on gas, electricity and other fuels by the average weekly gross income, we can estimate the proportion of gross income that households in England and Northern Ireland spend on fuel. The results from this are presented in the following table:
	
		
			 Percentage 
			  2007-09 2008-10 2009-11 
			 (a) England 2.7 2.8 3.0 
			 (b) Northern Ireland 4.1 4.5 4.9

Fuel Poverty

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when a Minister in his Department last met with the Northern Ireland Assembly to discuss fuel poverty.

Gregory Barker: Ministers in the Department have not met with members of the Northern Ireland Assembly to discuss fuel poverty, which is a devolved issue.
	Officials in DECC regularly liaise with officials in the Department for Social Development to discuss fuel poverty issues.

Natural Gas

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what research has been conducted or commissioned by his Department into the recovery of natural gas from seabed frozen methane hydrates.

Michael Fallon: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by the Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change, my right hon. Friend the Member for South Holland and The Deepings (Mr Hayes) on 19 March 2013, Official Report, column 591W.

Natural Gas: Yorkshire and the Humber

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many and what proportion of homes in (a) Brigg and Goole constituency and (b) Yorkshire and the Humber do not have access to the gas network.

Gregory Barker: The exact number of households off the gas grid is not held centrally.
	Estimates have been produced based on information held from two administrative sources; these are the Gemserv database on the location of electricity meters, and data from xoserve and independent gas transporters on the location of gas meters. Subtracting the number of gas meters from the number of electricity meters produces a broad estimate of the number of off grid properties.
	However some households can have more than one electricity meter associated with their property (for instance, a supply for communal facilities such as stairwell lighting or a lift). Additionally, the standard gas industry definition of domestic use uses a consumption threshold, with any consumer using less than 73,200 kWh of gas per year being classed as a domestic user; it is estimated that—Great Britain wide—this definition allocates around 2 million small business users as domestic. Furthermore a small number of meters (less than one third of 1%) do not have sufficient information associated with them to be able to allocate them to a specific area.
	The underlying data on the number of gas and electricity meters in each local authority is available on the Departments website at:
	www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/statistics/energy_stats/regional/electricity/electricity.aspx
	www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/statistics/energy_stats/regional/gas/gas.aspx
	The following table shows, for 2011, the number of domestic electricity meter points, the number of gas meter points where consumption was less than 73,200 kWh, and the difference between the two figures, which forms an estimate of the number of households off the gas grid for each local authority within Yorkshire and the Humber.
	The number of installed meters by parliamentary constituency level is not currently available, and as such this analysis cannot be produced at this level. However, the Brigg and Goole constituency comprises of a combination of parts of the local authorities of East Riding and North Lincolnshire local authorities. The estimated combined number of households off the gas grid in East Riding and North Lincolnshire is 33,200; in Yorkshire and the Humber as a whole the estimated number is 248,000.
	
		
			 ONS code LAU1 code LAU1 area Number of domestic electricity meters (thousand) Number of domestic gas meters (thousand) Estimated number of households off the gas grid (thousand) Estimated percentage of households off the gas grid 
			 00CC UKE3101 Barnsley 106.0 100.9 5.1 4.8 
			 00CX UKE4100 Bradford 210.1 194.9 15.2 7.2 
			 00CY UKE4301 Calderdale 93.8 87.0 6.8 7.2 
			 36UB UKE2201 Craven 26.4 20.5 5.8 22.1 
			 00CE UKE3102 Doncaster 130.8 124.1 6.6 5.1 
			 00FB UKE1200 East Riding of Yorkshire 151.1 126.1 25.1 16.6 
			 36UC UKE2202 Hambleton 39.5 23.7 15.7 39.9 
			 36UD UKE2203 Harrogate 70.2 56.4 13.9 19.7 
			 00FA UKE1100 Kingston upon Hull, City of 118.6 109.9 8.7 7.4 
			 00CZ UKE4302 Kirklees 180.4 171.6 8.9 4.9 
			 00DA UKE4200 Leeds 339.8 300.3 39.5 11.6 
			 00FC UKE1301 North East Lincolnshire 71.8 68.6 3.2 4.5 
			 00FD UKE1302 North Lincolnshire 73.2 65.1 8.1 11.0 
			 36UE UKE2204 Richmondshire 22.8 12.2 10.6 46.7 
			 00CF UKE3103 Rotherham 113.6 109.1 4.5 4.0 
			 36UF UKE2205 Ryedale 24.5 12.9 11.6 47.5 
			 36UG UKE2206 Scarborough 57.4 45.8 11.6 20.2 
			 36UH UKE2207 Selby 36.4 26.0 10.4 28.5 
			 00CG UKE3200 Sheffield 236.5 219.5 17.1 7.2 
			 00DB UKE4303 Wakefield 148.0 138.3 9.7 6.6 
			 00FF UKE2100 York 87.4 77.5 9.9 11.3 
			   Total Yorkshire and the Humber 2,338.2 2,090.2 248.0 10.6

Nuclear Power Stations

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many state aids notifications in respect of the nuclear new build programme the Government has (a) submitted to date and (b) plans to submit to the European Commission; what the scope is of each such notification; and what the Government's timetable is for the Commission to make its final decision in each case.

Michael Fallon: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	The Government is working with the European Commission to ensure that our policies are compliant with state aid rules, where we consider these have state aid implications. In order to maintain effective working relationships with the Commission it would be inappropriate to provide detail on a fast moving and ongoing process. State aid decisions by the Commission are made public.

Radiation: Emergency Services

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will list for each civil licensed (a) nuclear power plant and (b) nuclear fuel cycle installation in the UK which of the emergency services responder organisations from the (i) fire brigade, (ii) police, (iii) ambulance service and (iv) local authorities have been pre-registered locally in respect of requirements under Regulation 14 of the Radiation (Emergency Preparedness and Public Information) Regulations 2001 to pre-train those personnel who would have to carry out their duties in a radioactive environment in the event of a radiological emergency at a licensed nuclear site; and what details of pre-registration emergency services are required to communicate to the Office for Nuclear Regulation.

John Hayes: Where an emergency plan prepared in accordance with the Radiation (Emergency Preparedness and Public Information) Regulations 2001 (REPPIR) suggests an employee might receive an "emergency exposure" to radiation, each employer must provide those employees with appropriate radiation protection training. Hence, under REPPIR, employers must ensure such employees are provided with information and instruction on the risks to health created by exposure to ionising radiation and the precautions which should be taken. An "emergency exposure", as defined in REPPIR, is an exposure to ionising radiation of intervention personnel which may be necessary to put emergency plans into effect.
	Records of any local pre-registration by the fire brigade, police, ambulance service and local authorities are kept by these individual organisations at the local level and are not held centrally by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC).
	Emergency services are not required under REPPIR to communicate details of pre-registration of training to the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR). However, REPPIR Reg 14 (2) requires the licensed nuclear site operator to notify to the Office for Nuclear Regulation of the emergency exposure levels which the operator has determined for intervention personnel on site in the event of a radiation emergency. This information is contained within the on-site and off-site emergency plans prepared under REPPIR, which are submitted to ONR. These plans, where appropriate, include a list of the emergency exposure dose levels for the emergency services.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Africa and Middle East

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the recent report by Open Doors UK which concluded that persecution of Christians is increasing in Africa and the Middle East.

Alistair Burt: I share Open Doors' concerns about those who are persecuted around the world because of their religion or belief. The British Government condemns all violence and discrimination against individuals or groups because of their religion, regardless of the country or faith concerned. We also seek to act on the representations made by advocacy organisations, including Open Doors, with whom my officials are in regular contact.
	The report by Open Doors raised concerns about a major exodus of Christians from the middle east. We regularly stress to governments the importance of respecting universal human rights, including religious rights and the rule of law, particularly in those countries affected by the Arab Spring. For example in Egypt in January I conveyed our concerns about the protection of minorities, including Christians, to a range of political and civil society figures.
	Through the Arab Partnership, the Government's strategic programme of support for fundamental, long-term positive change in the middle east and North Africa, we are working to strengthen the local institutions which will help the people of the region to build more open and inclusive societies. Such societies offer citizens the best chance to exercise their human rights fully, and to build long-term prosperity and security.

British India Ocean Territory

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what fishing and marine protection patrols have been undertaken in the British India Ocean Territories in the last year; how many vessels in breach of licences have been apprehended as a result of such proposals; and what violations have been discovered.

Mark Simmonds: The British Indian Ocean Territory patrol vessel, the Pacific Marlin, was at sea for 310 days between January 2012 and January 2013. The vessel multitasks, but fisheries protection was the principal task.
	No fishing licences were issued and therefore no breaches of licences were possible.
	Three Sri Lankan fishing vessels were apprehended and successfully prosecuted in the last year up to 25 March 2013. There were three violations relating to fishing in the fishing waters of BIOT without a licence contrary the Fisheries (Conservation and Management) Ordinance 2007; three violations relating to possession of prohibited fishing gear, namely wire trace lines; and one violation relating to possession of prohibited fishing gear, namely a harpoon.
	One yacht was found without a valid mooring permit.

Burma

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the conditions and treatment of Rohingya refugees in Thailand.

Hugo Swire: On 15 March, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) released a statement highlighting its concern about the treatment of Rohingya by the Thai authorities. This year the UNHCR estimates that 7,000 Rohingya have made the dangerous journey across the bay of Bengal to various destinations.
	Since January, the UNHCR estimates that more than 1,800 boat arrivals—the vast majority Rohingya from Rakhine State—have been accepted on Thai soil and have been provided with assistance in shelters and immigration detention facilities mainly in the south. The UNHCR has welcomed the Thai Government's decision to provide them with six months of temporary protection while solutions are sought. It has requested that the Government investigate the claims of mistreatment by the Thai navy.
	On 8 March, our ambassador to Bangkok raised with a senior Thai Minister the need to provide full access to health services for all migrants in need, including the Rohingya. We continue to lobby the Thai authorities, calling for an open and transparent investigation into the navy's treatment of the boat off Phang Nga province and to treat Rohingya in line with international humanitarian standards.

Burma

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on allegations that the Thai navy sold Rohingya refugees travelling by boat to human traffickers.

Hugo Swire: The British Government has received no specific reports alleging that the Thai navy has sold Rohingya refugees to human traffickers. In January 2013 we received reports that a number of military officers attached to Thailand's Internal Security Operation Command were investigated for their role in relation to people smuggling of Rohingya through Thailand and on to Malaysia. During the investigation, two senior army officials were suspended from their posts.
	We continue to lobby the Thai Government to ensure that they adhere to international protocols governing the treatment of refugees by offering protection and assistance to those who land on their shores. Alongside other partners and civil society organisations, we are also pressing them to ensure full access to detained Rohingya refugees by the International Organisation of Migration and the UN High Commission for Refugees.

Burma

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of the treatment of Rohingya prisoners in Buthidaung Prison in Burma following recent allegations of torture and abuse.

Hugo Swire: We have regular discussions with the UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights Situation in Burma, Tomas Ojea Quintana. These meetings cover the full range of human rights issues in Burma, including the issue of political prisoners.
	Mr Quintana's report on 6 March highlighted concerns about the practice of torture in places of detention in Burma. It set out allegations that Muslim prisoners detained in Buthidaung prison in Rakhine State after last June and October's violence had been tortured and beaten to death. Beyond the Quintana report, our officials in Rangoon have sought to clarify the veracity of allegations of torture in Buthidaung prison and believe that in some cases these allegations are credible.
	On 7 March, our ambassador discussed the plight of Rohingya prisoners in Buthidaung jail with the Burmese Minister for Border Affairs. On 20 March, an EU-sponsored resolution at the Human Rights Council called for the Burmese Government to sign the International Convention against Torture. The UK has lobbied steadily about this and we will continue to press the Burmese Government to implement the Convention.

Burma

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of recent communal violence in the Burmese city of Meikhtila; and if he will make a statement.

Hugo Swire: We are extremely concerned by the recent violence in Meiktila which spread to other parts of Burma. We are particularly concerned about the way in which the violence seemed to target Muslim communities. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Alistair Burt), issued a statement on behalf of the British Government on 21 March, calling on all parties to end the violence immediately and urging the Burmese Government to take all necessary action to protect civilians and to work with communities to tackle the hostility behind the attacks.
	We are encouraged that the violence has since ceased. I welcomed the statement by President Thein Sein on 28 March, which called for accountability and freedom of religion, stated his readiness to maintain public order and protect all of the different communities in Burma, and to work for reconciliation between communities.

Burma

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Government of Burma to address the recent communal violence in that country; and if he will make a statement.

Hugo Swire: Our ambassador to Rangoon called on senior members of the Burmese Government on 22 March to urge the Government to protect civilians and ensure security in Meiktila and the other towns affected by the recent violence in central Burma. He also met with a senior Buddhist leader, the Sitagu Sayadaw, and welcomed his public calls for monks to prevent violence. He has also discussed the violence with Aung San Suu Kyi. Our ambassador was the first diplomat to visit Meiktila in the wake of the violence, which he did on 25 March, to see the situation there.
	Senior officials in London have raised our concerns with the Burmese Government, including Burma’s ambassador to London.
	We remain in close contact with members of the Muslim community in Burma, our counterparts in Rangoon’s diplomatic community, and with others in the international community including the EU and UN. We call upon all of Burma’s political and civil society leaders to speak up for peace.

Central African Republic

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the security situation in the Central African Republic.

Mark Simmonds: I am greatly concerned about reports of violence and looting in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic (CAR); about water, food and power shortages; and the difficulties humanitarian agencies are facing in accessing those affected. I am also concerned about reports of human rights violations across the country. UK officials have been working closely with French colleagues in Bangui and Paris to ensure the safety of British nationals.
	I condemn Seleka’s unconstitutional takeover of power in CAR. HMG is working with partners in the UN, EU and elsewhere, to ensure that the international community’s response supports long-term democracy, stability and security in CAR. This should include a return, where possible, to the principles of the 11 January Libreville Agreement.

Central African Republic

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his international counterparts on the security situation in the Central African Republic.

Mark Simmonds: I condemn Seleka’s unconstitutional takeover of power in CAR. We are working with partners in the UN, EU and elsewhere, to ensure that the international community’s response supports long-term democracy, stability and security in CAR. This should include a return, where possible, to the principles of the 11 January Libreville Agreement.

Colombia

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to encourage the peace process in Colombia.

Hugo Swire: We are strongly supportive of President Santos' decision to enter into peace negotiations with the FARC. It brings hope of sustainable peace for all Colombians after decades of conflict.
	We have provided political support and have shared some of the lessons learnt from the Northern Ireland experience. The Prime Minister has made it clear that we stand ready to provide further support, if asked by the Colombian Government. We are in regular contact with the Colombian authorities; they are well aware of our readiness to help.

Eritrea

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what human rights’ issues have been raised by the UK with (a) the Government of Eritrea and (b) human rights and civil liberty groups in that country.

Mark Simmonds: We raise our concerns about human rights with the Eritrean Government at every opportunity, bilaterally and with EU partners. Issues raised include arbitrary and inhumane detention, lack of religious freedom, freedom of the media and freedom of expression and assembly.
	Civil society in Eritrea remains tightly controlled. There are no independent human rights or civil liberty groups currently operating in Eritrea. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials in London meet regularly with representatives of the Eritrean diaspora, civil society and human rights organisations to discuss human rights in Eritrea.

Ethiopia

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the government of Ethiopia on human rights, poverty and living conditions in the Ogaden region.

Mark Simmonds: We consistently raise human rights, development and security issues in Ethiopia's Ogaden region with all levels of the Ethiopian Government, including earlier this year in separate meetings with the Minister of Defence, the National Security Adviser and the President of the Somali Region.

Ethiopia

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support his Department is providing to the government of Somalia in respect of security issues in the Ogaden region.

Mark Simmonds: The security situation in the Ogaden region of Ethiopia remains of concern. We continue to monitor reported incidents of violence and clashes in the region. While security sector reform remains an integral part of the British Government's strategy for Somalia and a key deliverable for the 7 May Somalia Conference in London, the focus of that approach rests within Somalia's borders. As such, we currently offer no direct support to the Federal Government of Somalia with respect to the Ogaden region of Ethiopia and have no plans to do so.

Human Rights

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many officials in his Department work full-time on human rights policy.

Alistair Burt: We do not hold information centrally on the number of positions devoted exclusively to human rights work. In 2012, we estimated that we had the equivalent of approximately 240 full-time employees working on human rights in the UK and overseas. We do not believe the number has changed significantly since then. This number includes 29 full time and one part time permanent staff plus two contracted human rights advisers within the human rights and democracy department in London.
	Human rights are integral to our foreign policy. All our embassies and high commissions have a responsibility to monitor and promote human rights. The amount of staff resource devoted to human rights across the FCO network varies over time because these responsibilities are carried out by different members of staff, at different levels of seniority, in response to developments. For most staff, this work is normally part of a broader role.
	More information on the FCO’s human rights priorities and resources can be found in the FCO’s 2011 Human Rights and Democracy Report available at:
	www.gov.uk/government/policies/promoting-human-rights-internationally

Iran

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the government of Iran on the imprisonment of Pastor Fashid Malayeri.

Alistair Burt: The UK does not have direct contact with the Government of Iran, but UK Ministers have repeatedly and publicly expressed the UK's serious concern at the persecution of religious minorities in Iran, including the unjustified arrest and imprisonment of Christian pastors; and called on Iran to release those being detained for their beliefs including Pastor Fashid Malayeri. The UK also continues to support the work of the UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Iran, whose most recent report to the UN's Human Rights Council highlights the unacceptable treatment of Christians.

Iran

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Iran on the imprisonment of individuals based on religion.

Alistair Burt: The UK does not have direct contact with the Government of Iran but the British Government has repeatedly and publicly expressed our serious concern at the persecution of religious minorities in Iran, including the unjustified arrest and imprisonment of Christians and the Bahai; and called on Iran to release those being detained for their beliefs. The UK also continues to support the work of the UN Special Rapporteur on Iran, whose most recent report to the UN's Human Rights Council highlights the unacceptable treatment of religious minorities in Iran.

Iran

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the imprisonment rate of individuals based on their religion in Iran.

Alistair Burt: Iran's human rights record is appalling: and its treatment of religious minorities, in particular the imprisonment of individuals for their beliefs, is particularly shocking. According to the latest report of UN Special Rapporteur, 110 Baha’is are currently detained for exercising their faith, with around a further 400 at other stages in the judicial process. The report also notes that least 13 Protestant Christians are currently in detention centres across Iran, and that more than 300 Christians have been arrested since June 2010. Furthermore, as of November 2012, 12 Gonabadi Dervishes are reportedly in custody, as well as the leader of the Yarsan religious minority.

Iran

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment has his Department made of the effect of recent decisions by the European Court of Justice on the sanctions regime against Iran.

Alistair Burt: The UK., and its EU partners, continue to believe that robust and principled measures must be taken against entities and individuals providing support to Iran's nuclear and ballistic missiles programmes. We firmly believe that there remains a case to answer in the EU General Court cases concerning Banks Mellat and Saderat. We welcome, and support, the unanimous decision of the EU member states to appeal in those cases. Asset freezes against these, and all other entities designated under the EU Iran sanctions regime, remain in place.

Iraq

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations his Department has made to the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq following the attacks on Camp Liberty in February 2013.

Alistair Burt: Officials from our embassy in Baghdad met United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq officials in the afternoon following the attacks. We continue to raise questions concerning Camp Liberty with the UN and the Government of Iraq as appropriate.

Iraq

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of claims made by the Iranian Quds Force that they intend to attack Camp Liberty.

Alistair Burt: We have received no reports that the Iranian Quds Force intend to attack Camp Liberty.

Iraq

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his assessment is of the security situation in Baghdad.

Alistair Burt: The security situation in Baghdad remains very dangerous, with attacks against the Iraqi security forces, Government employees and civilians on a daily basis. There are regular, high-profile attacks against Government locations and large gatherings of civilians. Our Travel Advice advises against all but essential travel to most of Iraq, including Baghdad.

Israel

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Israeli Government about night-time arrests of children.

Alistair Burt: We have raised with the Israeli authorities our concerns about the treatment of Palestinian child detainees, including the issue of night-time arrests, on a number of occasions. During his visit to Israel in November 2012, the Attorney-General, my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Beaconsfield (Mr Grieve) discussed the issue with his Israeli counterpart, Yehuda Weinstein, and other senior interlocutors. Mr Weinstein agreed to further talks between Israeli and British legal experts on the subject. In addition, Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials discussed this with a senior Israeli legal delegation in London on 31 January.

Israel

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with Israeli authorities about recording of police interviews with children.

Alistair Burt: During his visit to Israel in November 2012 the Attorney-General, my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Beaconsfield (Mr Grieve) raised the issue of audio-visual recording of interviews with Palestinian children held in Israeli military detention, as recommended in an independent report by British legal experts, with the Israeli Attorney-General Yehuda Weinstein and other senior interlocuters. Mr Weinstein agreed to further talks between Israeli and British legal experts on the subject. This followed previous discussions between our embassy in Tel Aviv and the Israeli authorities on this and other recommendations made in the June 2012 report.
	Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials discussed the recommendations and progress on this issue with a senior Israeli legal delegation on 31 January 2013. The delegation reported that recording of police interviews with Palestinian children was being introduced in some cases. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials urged that this practice be made uniform and be formalised into Israeli policy and law.

Israel

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that Palestinian children are not blindfolded or hooded on arrest.

Alistair Burt: We have raised with the Israeli authorities our concerns about the treatment of Palestinian child detainees, including the issues of hooding and shackling, on a number of occasions. We consider such practices to be wrong. During his visit to Israel in November 2012, the Attorney-General, my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Beaconsfield (Mr Grieve) discussed our concerns with his Israeli counterpart, Yehuda Weinstein, and other senior interlocutors. Mr Weinstein agreed to further talks between Israeli and British legal experts on the subject. In addition, Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials discussed these with a senior Israeli legal delegation in London on 31 January.

Kosovo

Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of progress in establishing the rule of law in northern Kosovo.

David Lidington: Strengthening the rule of law remains one of the many outstanding challenges in northern Kosovo. We encourage all parties to work with the EU Rule of Law Mission (EULEX), including by allowing EULEX to transport Kosovo customs officials by land to the two northern border gates to implement the Kosovo-Serbia agreement on Integrated Border Management. Following a series of grenade attacks, EULEX has doubled its joint patrols with the Kosovo police in Mitrovica North, leading to a marked decrease in such attacks. We continue to give full support to the Serbia-Kosovo political dialogue facilitated by Baroness Ashton which should lead to the early dismantling of Serbia's illegal security and judicial structures in northern Kosovo.

Morocco

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will raise with the Moroccan authorities the recommendations of the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture that the Moroccan government reconsiders the jurisdiction of the military court over civilians in the case of the 23 Saharawi men detained at Salé Prison 1 and undertake that civilians will not be sentenced by military courts, initiate impartial, effective investigations to ascertain exactly what occurred and determine what responsibility should be borne by members of the police and security forces, and investigate all allegations of torture and ill-treatment.

Alistair Burt: We welcome the report of Mr Juan Mendez, the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, and Morocco's openness in allowing him to visit, which indicates a genuine political will to address a continued improvement in human rights. We will encourage and support Morocco in the implementation of the recommendations and continue to raise our concerns with the Moroccan authorities on human rights issues through our existing frank and open dialogue.

Nature Conservation: Crime

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on possible security threats caused by terrorists and other criminal organisations participating in international wildlife crime.

Alistair Burt: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the right hon. Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), has not discussed this specific issue recently with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the right hon. Member for North Shropshire (Mr Paterson).

North Africa

Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking with the governments of (a) Egypt, (b) Libya and (c) Tunisia to assist with the return of misappropriated state assets.

Alistair Burt: Of the Arab Spring countries, the UK does not hold any frozen state assets for either Egypt or Tunisia.
	The majority of the Libyan assets frozen in the UK are for state-owned entities. We remain engaged with the new Libyan Government in order to ensure the asset freeze against these, and other state-owned entities, is kept under regular review to ensure they are returned as swiftly as possible but in full accordance with international conditions and the completion of legal process by the countries concerned.

Overseas Trade: Minerals

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department has taken to ensure that UK companies only trade in conflict-free minerals.

Mark Simmonds: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) works closely with UK companies, particularly in the diamond, gold and jewellery sectors, to encourage trade in conflict-free minerals. The FCO has assisted in the development of guidance, by the UK-based World Gold Council and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), for companies in the gold and minerals sectors, in order to help British companies undertake due diligence checks on their supply chains to ensure that the minerals arid gold they purchase do not fund conflict. Under the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, the Government Diamond Office, based in the FCO, works closely with UK Border Agency and Customs to monitor trade and inspect diamond shipments in order to reduce the risk that rough diamonds linked to conflict are entering the UK.

Palestinians

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is planning to take against UK directors of G4S over the alleged illegal transfer of Palestinian prisoners to Israeli prisons.

Alistair Burt: I refer the right hon. Member to my answer of 7 March 2013, Official Report, column 1191W.

Palestinians

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the suspension of family visits to Gazan prisoners held in Israeli jails; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: Our officials from the consulate general in Jerusalem received a report on 18 March from the International Committee of the Red Cross saying that Israel has suspended family visits to prisoners from Gaza for three weeks for Jewish holidays.
	Our officials in Tel Aviv have raised the issue of family visits for Palestinian prisoners with the Israeli authorities and, following the Palestinian prisoners' hunger strike, family visits have been reinstated. We continue to press the Israeli authorities to treat prisoners in accordance with international and Israeli law.

Pay

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much was paid to officials in (a) his Department and (b) its non-departmental public bodies in bonuses and other payments in addition to salary in each of the last five years; how many officials received such payments; and what the monetary value was of the 20 largest payments made in each year.

Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has two types of non-consolidated, variable performance pay schemes, both of which are focused on rewarding high levels of performance. These types of payment are an integral element of the reward package for staff, have to be re-earned each year and do not add to future pay bill costs (e.g. pensions).
	Performance-related payments (PRP) are an established part of the civil service pay model. The FCO uses PRP to motivate and reward its staff. Making PRP part of an annual award contingent on performance maximises value for money and control of the pay bill because the payments are non-pensionable and have to be re-earned every year. The FCO policies on PRP are within the guidelines set by HMT and Cabinet Office.
	The in-year performance award scheme is devolved to directorates to allow them to recognise outstanding achievement either by an individual or team. Awards are only payable to staff in grades below the senior civil service.
	Details of payments of PRP and other payments made to staff by the FCO are shown in the following table.
	
		
			 FCO Purpose Total amount paid 2011-12 (£) Number of recipients Highest 20 payments 2011-12 (£) Number 
			 Non-consolidated year end performance pay Non-consolidated performance pay is focused on rewarding high levels of performance. It is an integral element of the reward package for staff, has to be re-earned each year and does not add to future pay bill costs. 6,191,430 3,938 13,500 11,250 9 11 
			       
			 Devolved in-year performance awards The in-year performance award scheme is devolved to directorates within the FCO to allow them to recognise outstanding achievement either by an individual or team. Awards are only payable to staff in grades below the senior civil service. 696,975 1,434 2,063 2,000 1,650 1,500 1,250 1,200 1,100 1,050 1,030 1,000 1 4 1 1 2 2 4 3 1 1 
			       
			 FCO Bonus Scheme Paid as a one off non-consolidated payment to staff who achieve relevant, externally validated qualifications. These payments replace the previous system of with salary monthly allowances and reward a wider range of qualifications than before and are a driver to promote professionalism and excellence across the office. 260,000 68 5,000 20 
		
	
	The FCO has changed the way it records its management information to include organisational partners in Government in the overall figures. As a result, this information is not comparable with previously released figures.
	For years prior to 2010-11, I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 19 November 2010, Official Report, column 1010W, and the answer given by the former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for North West Norfolk (Mr Bellingham), on 18 January 2012, Official Report, column 880W.
	For details of allowances and other payments in addition to salary for 2011-12, I refer my hon. Friend to my answer on allowances and subsidies given today.
	Details of bonuses and other payments paid to staff employed by the FCO’s non-departmental public bodies are as follows:
	
		
			 British Council 
			  2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Total value of payments (£) 1,192,045 1,750,992 1,504,051 1,369,974 1,513,182 
			 Number of employees receiving payments 1,189 1,244 1,011 871 982 
			 Top 20 payments total value (£) 76,996 130,588 169,818 181,899 216,659 
		
	
	Foreign Compensation Commission
	There is no bonus scheme in place. The Ministry of Justice sets down rules reimbursing part-time heads of tribunals for travel expenses. Average rail costs range between £35 and £45 per week over 10 months. (Entitlement to first-class travel has never been taken up to reduce costs.) The aggregate monetary value of the 20 largest payments would be under £900.
	
		
			 FCO services 
			  2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Total value of payments (£) n/a 1,241,879 1,161,797 1,236,147 1,377,737 
			 Number of employees receiving payments n/a 783 839 826 793 
			 Top 20 payments total value (£) n/a 104,000 98,425 80,900 87,550 
			 n/a = Not available. 
		
	
	
		
			 Great Britain: China Centre 
			  2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Total value of payments (£) 0 750 4,950 13,520 16,415 
			 Number of employees receiving payments 0 1 1 5 6 
			 Top 20 payments total value (£) 0 750 4,950 6,600 8,000 
		
	
	
		
			 Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission (MACC) 
			  2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Total value of payments (£) 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Number of employees receiving payments 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Top 20 payments total value (£) 0 0 0 0 0 
		
	
	The MACC does not employ any staff and the commissioners are unpaid public appointees.
	
		
			 Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) 
			  2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Total value of payments (£) 14,000 0 15,483 20,250 n/a 
			 Number of employees receiving payments 1 0 2 2 n/a 
			 Top 20 payments total value (£) 14,000 0 15,483 20,250 n/a 
			 n/a = Not available. 
		
	
	For SCS, WFD makes performance-related payments in line with the FCO scheme.
	
		
			 Wilton Park 
			  2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Total value of payments (£) 61,000 59,000 66,000 73,000 82,000 
			 Number of employees receiving payments 59 58 65 67 63 
			 Top 20 payments total value (£) n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 n/a = Not available.

Pay

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what allowances and subsidies in addition to salary were available to officials in (a) his Department and (b) its non-departmental public bodies in each of the last five years; and what the monetary value was of such payments and allowances in each such year.

Alistair Burt: Diplomatic service staff in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) have a global mobility obligation, and will typically spend over half of their careers outside of the UK, moving country every few years. The FCO pays allowances to staff serving overseas to compensate for the extra costs incurred through moving frequently and living overseas.
	UK-based staff serving overseas are paid allowances to compensate them for the additional cost of maintaining a standard of living comparable to the UK, called a Cost of Living Addition, and for the range of additional costs resulting from frequent changes of job, location and environment paid as Diplomatic Service Allowance. Staff who work in dangerous and challenging environments are paid a Hardship Allowance, while staff who visit dangerous and challenging environments can claim Hazardous Conditions Allowance. The Continuity of Education Allowance enables children to continue their schooling at UK boarding schools while their parents take up overseas postings, often in places where suitable schooling may not be available.
	In the UK most allowances are job related and represent compensation for working additional or unsociable hours or for taking additional responsibilities such as deputising for more senior officers.
	Details of allowances are as follows:
	
		
			 Allowance Purpose Total Amount Paid 2011-12 (£) 
			 DSCA (Diplomatic Service Allowance) Diplomatic Service Allowance (DSA) paid to Diplomatic Service staff at all overseas Posts according to grade and family status to compensate for the range of additional costs that result from the career-long disruption caused by frequent changes of location, and any indirect representational expenses. Spouse pension compensation paid to Diplomatic Service staff in recognition of their contractual commitment to serve anywhere in the UK or overseas. It recognises the impact this has on the spouse's ability to follow a career and to contribute to a UK pension scheme. Paid monthly to married accompanied staff or those accompanied by an established partner provided they meet criteria. Hardship Paid to staff at qualifying Posts to compensate for the additional costs of maintaining quality of life. Based on a location ranking scoring system prepared by ECA International who gathers data from expatriate and independent sources on such factors as climate, pollution, health, isolation, security and social tension. 20,612,354 
			 Cost of Living Addition (CoLA) Paid to compensate staff for the additional cost of maintaining a standard of living comparable with that in the UK while living and working overseas. CoLA rates vary by country and family circumstances. They are calculated for the FCO by an independent commercial company, ECA International, who provide similar advice to a range of international firms and multinationals. 17,145,375 
			 Continuity of Education Allowance The FCO meets the school fee costs of children who accompany their parents overseas where there is no suitable English language-based education system. Where staff cannot have their children with them, or prefer for them to remain at school in the UK to provide stability and continuity of education, the FCO contributes towards the cost of standard term fees for children at boarding school, up to a ceiling amount. CEA ceilings are reviewed annually 15,448,371 
			 Market Forces Allowance This allows the FCO to offer competitive market salaries to secure externally qualified candidates for specialist posts. 74,283 
			 Retention and Recruitment Allowance This allows the FCO to solve intractable recruitment problems or to secure externally qualified candidates for posts. Decisions to award this allowance must be supported by a strong business case. 142,044 
			 Private Office Allowance Paid to staff substantively appointed to a post in a Private Office of a Minister or the PUS in lieu of overtime. 133,566 
			 Management Reviewers/Internal Audit allowance Paid in lieu of overtime when staff travel overseas to perform reviews/audits. 71,336 
			 London Location Allowance Paid to attract bidders for London based jobs. 7,530,325 
			 Diplomatic Service Purchasing Allowance Diplomatic Service staff have a global mobility obligation which involves a number of sustained periods living and working overseas during a career. They can be at a disadvantage when finding accommodation at home because of their frequent overseas jobs. DSPA is paid as compensation for above-average mortgage interests payments. 26,796 
			 Diplomatic Service Rent Allowance DS staff have a global mobility obligation which involves a number of sustained periods living and working overseas during a career. They can be at a disadvantage when finding accommodation at home because of their frequent overseas jobs. This allowance is paid to staff who rent furnished accommodation on taking up a substantive home posting after substantive service overseas. 19,093 
			 Shift Disturbance Allowance Paid to staff who work shifts as their normal pattern of work. There are two different patterns of shift work: Standard Shift System: Shifts worked as part of a regular five day working week Rostered Shift System: Days off/Days on, encompassing a seven day week. 171,274 
			 Unsocial Hours Payment Paid to staff whose rostered shift is over 7 days and includes weekends/nights on a regular basis. 380,011 
			 Deputising Allowance Paid to staff when they undertake the full duties of an absent member of staff. 70,217 
			 Hazardous Conditions Allowance Paid to compensate staff for short visits to posts falling within Security Strategy Unit Category Alpha for terrorism. 200,440 
			 On call allowance Paid if staff who have a specific roster commitment to be continuously and immediately available on-call outside office hours. 373,404 
			 Excess Fares Allowance Paid to staff when their job is moved to a new location in the UK to cover the additional cost of their travel to the new location. This is paid instead of any relocation allowance. 42,009.03 
			 Transfer Grant A lump sum payment intended to cover a range of incidental expenditure associated with being posted overseas (e.g. replacing household items, buying extra luggage). It is paid for each posting lasting 12 months or more, e.g. a move from the UK to a Post overseas, a relocation to the UK at the end of a posting overseas, and a move from one overseas Post to another. 4,790,639 
		
	
	
		
			 Travel Package An accountable allowance paid to staff and qualifying dependants for transfer and leave paid journeys during substantive overseas postings of 12 months or more. Based on fare paid journey entitlements which are valued twice a year. Total package value varies according to location, duration of posting, and family status and may include Additional Journeys based on economy class travel to a Designated Leave Centre, depending on location hardship rating. Staff have flexibility in how and where they travel during a posting provided it is within the ceiling of the value of their travel package. 17,279,083 
		
	
	The FCO has changed the way it records its management information to include organisational partners in Government in the overall figures. As a result, this information is not comparable with previously released figures.
	In addition, the FCO also makes payments to staff to reimburse them for reasonable and actual costs incurred in the course of their duties.
	Some allowances are currently under review as part of Civil Service Reform. As part of its commitment to continuously ensuring value for money, the FCO regularly reviews the allowances we pay to staff.
	For years prior to 2010-11 I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 18 November 2010, Official Report, column 903W and the answer given by the former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for North West Norfolk (Mr Bellingham), on 18 January 2012, Official Report, column 880W.
	As part of the Government’s Transparency Agenda, we also aim to publish this data as far as we are able at:
	www.data.gov.uk
	Details of allowances paid to staff employed by the FCO's non-departmental public bodies are as follows:
	British Council
	London Market Allowance
	Responsibility Allowance
	Finance Allowance
	On-Call Allowance
	Frequent Traveller Allowance
	Shift Allowance
	Home working/Utilities Allowance
	Expatriate/Mobility Allowance
	Location Allowance
	Cost of Living Allowance
	Continuity of Education Allowance
	
		
			  Allowance 
			 2008-09 8,536,521 
			 2009-10 9,490,706 
			 2010-11 8,466,854 
			 2011-12 7,992,246 
			 2012-13 7,431,703 
		
	
	Foreign Compensation Commission
	None other than the Chairman's rail travel expenses which in any year would be less than £1,700.
	FCO Services
	Deputising Allowance
	Driving Messengers
	Excess Fares Taxable
	Hazardous Conditions Allowance
	Individual Recruitment Premium
	Location Allowance
	Market Forces Allowance
	On Call
	Overseas Allowances
	Provided Transport Deduction
	Retention Payment
	Retention Premium
	RRA
	Shift Disturbance Allowance
	Short Tour Allowance
	Substitution
	Supervisory Allowance
	Unsocial Hours Allowance
	
		
			  Allowance (£) 
			 2008-09 n/a 
			 2009-10 4,365,546 
			 2010-11 4,045,071 
			 2011-12 4,191,556 
			 2012-13 3,924,413 
			 n/a = not available. 
		
	
	
		
			 Great Britain—China Centre 
			  Number of allowances Total value (£) 
			 2012-13 1 3,252 
			 2011-12 1 3,252 
			 2010-11 1 3,252 
			 2009-10 1 3,252 
			 2008-09 1 3,252 
		
	
	
		
			 Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission 
			  Allowance 
			 2008-09 0 
			 2009-10 0 
			 2010-11 0 
			 2011-12 0 
			 2012-13 0 
		
	
	The MACC does not employ any staff and the Commissioners are unpaid public appointees.
	
		
			 Westminster Foundation for Democracy 
			  Allowance 
			 2008-09 0 
			 2009-10 0 
			 2010-11 0 
			 2011-12 0 
			 2012-13 0 
		
	
	WFD do not provide any allowances or subsidies to any member of staff.
	
		
			 Wilton Park 
			  Allowance 
			 2008-09 0 
			 2009-10 0 
			 2010-11 0 
			 2011-12 0 
			 2012-13 0

Sergei Magnitsky

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to impose visa bans and asset freezes on Russian government officials referred to in the Resolution of the House of 7 March 2012 on human rights abuses and the death of Sergei Magnitsky.

David Lidington: The House's resolution of 7 March 2012, Official Report, columns 928-51, is based on a principle that the Government shares: to defend human rights and condemn those who abuse them. The Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Alistair Burt), said during the debate on 7 March 2012 that we would look at the situation after the passage of the US Act and see if lessons could be learned. We have now done so. We do not believe there is evidence to suggest that the new legislation has brought any closer, or is likely to bring any closer, the outcome that we all want—justice for Sergei Magnitsky and his family. Worryingly, the Russian authorities have closed the investigation into Magnitsky's death without any results, and are trying him posthumously for fraud which is generally only considered permissible when carried out to exonerate a wrongfully convicted person or provide justice for family members of victims—neither of which is applicable in this circumstance.
	We have long been clear that where there is credible evidence the UK immigration rules already include provision for those who abuse human rights to be denied entry to the UK. This was also set out in the 2011 Foreign and Commonwealth Office Human Rights and Democracy Report.
	We continue to raise this case at the highest levels; the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), raised it with Foreign Minister Lavrov during talks in London in March, as did I when I met Deputy Foreign Minister Titov in Moscow in February. We will continue to reiterate the importance of bringing the case to a thorough and transparent conclusion.

Sick Leave

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many days (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies has lost to staff sickness in each of the last five years; and what estimate he has made of the cost of such absence in each year.

Alistair Burt: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 8 November 2010, Official Report, column 86W, for the costs of absences for 2008-09 and 2009-10.
	The number of days lost to sick absence in each of the last five years and the nominal salary cost to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) of days lost through sickness in each of these years is broken down as follows:
	
		
			  2010-11 2011-12 
			 Number of days lost to sick absence(1) 19,423 18,884 
			 Costs for absences(2) (£) 2,450,211 2,364,843 
			 (1) This data will differ from previously published information because we have revised the methodology used to calculate headcount, to bring our reporting into line with Cabinet Office and Office for National Statistics guidelines. (2) Estimated costs only. 
		
	
	Non-departmental public bodies
	
		
			 FCO Services 
			  2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Number working days lost to sickness 4,420 3,783 4,882 4,714 4,555 
			 Estimated cost of absence (£) n/a 958,278 1,001,351 1,011,346 1,005,713 
			 n/a = Not available 
		
	
	
		
			 British Council 
			  2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Number working days lost to sickness 8,387 8,502 5,324 3,169 3,640 
			 Estimated cost of absence (£) 1,120,020 1,051,961 816,700 431,235 432,649 
		
	
	
		
			 Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) 
			  2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Number working days lost to sickness 28 34 43.5 39 56 
			 Estimated cost of absence (£) 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Note: Nil (0) cost each year, WFD does not pay for sickness cover and staff work the additional hours necessary to cover the work. 
		
	
	
		
			 Great Britain China Centre 
			  2008-13 
			 Number working days lost to sickness 179.5 
			 Estimated cost of absence (£) 27,229 
		
	
	
		
			 Wilton Park 
			  2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Number working days lost to sickness 637 480.5 621.5 491 495 
			 Estimated cost of absence (£) n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 n/a = Not available 
		
	
	The Foreign Compensation Commission and Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission do not employ any staff and therefore have no sick absences to record.

Sick Leave

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many officials in (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies have had (i) fewer than five days, (ii) five to 10 days, (iii) 10 to 15 days, (iv) 15 to 20 days, (v) 20 to 25 days, (vi) 25 to 50 days, (vii) 50 to 75 days, (viii) 75 to 100 days, (ix) 100 to 150 days, (x) 150 to 200 days, (xi) more than 200 days, (xii) more than three months, (xiii) more than six months and (xiv) more than one year on paid sick leave (A) consecutively and (B) in total in each of the last five years.

Alistair Burt: Since November 2010, we have refined the calculation on average staff costs, which enable the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to better reflect the cost per day of absences. For the absences in 2012-13, these will be published in the forthcoming FCO annual report.
	I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 1 November 2010, Official Report, column 572W, for the number of absences for 2008-09 and 2009-10.
	The number of staff who have taken sick absence in each of the last five years is as follows:
	
		
			 Sick days 2010-11 2011-12 
			 (i) fewer than five days 1,044 1,073 
			 (ii) five to 10 days 359 305 
			 (iii) 10 to 15 days 99 115 
			 (iv) 15 to 20 days 57 48 
			 (v) 20 to 25 days 25 25 
			 (vi) 25 to 50 days 67 58 
			 (vii) 50 to 75 days 19 23 
			 (viii) 75 to 100 days 20 13 
			 (ix) 100 to 150 days 13 15 
			 (x) 150 to 200 days 5 8 
			 (xi) more than 200 days 10 8 
			 Grand total of staff who have taken sick absence 1,718 1,691 
		
	
	The total number of days lost to sick absence includes short and long term absences, certified and uncertified absences.
	Prior to financial year 2010-11, FCO recorded sick absences for the FCO, FCO Services, some FCO staff on loan and non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs), and therefore it is not possible to make a direct comparison between the figures prior to the financial year 2010-11. To provide these figures for prior years now would incur disproportionate costs. The figures are for FCO UK based staff only. Locally employed staff figures are not held centrally.
	The FCO has robust measures in place to monitor sick absence. Our absence rate has reduced and we continue to have a lower than average AWDL compared to the civil service as a whole. All long-term absences are actively managed by our health and welfare team, working alongside staff, their line managers, occupational health and disability support teams. The FCO also offers staff access to an Employee Assistance programme under a DEFRA-sponsored cross government framework.
	We report sick absence to the FCO Board and to the Cabinet Office. The total number of working days lost through short- and long-term sick absence, certified and uncertified for the financial years 2010-11 and 2011-12, is published in the FCO annual departmental report (HC59)
	Non-departmental public bodies NDPBs
	British Council
	British Council has been unable to provide detailed sickness data as the contractor holding the data is undertaking a major data migration programme.
	
		
			 FCO Services 
			 Sick days 2012-13 2011-12 2010-11 2009-10 2008-09 
			 (i) fewer than 5 days 362 391 448 409 416 
			 (ii) 5-10 days 58 75 88 79 77 
			 (iii) 11-15 days 31 27 31 36 37 
			 (iv) 16-20 days 11 14 13 12 12 
			 (v) 21-25 days 6 10 17 16 16 
			 (vi) 26-50 days 16 19 24 10 13 
			 (vii) 1-75 days 10 8 6 7 2 
			 (viii) 75-100 days 4 2 6 2 1 
			 (ix) 100-150 days 5 3 2 2 1 
			 (x) 150-200 days 1 2 0 0 0 
			 (xi) more than 200 days 1 1 0 1 0 
			 (xii) more than three months 9 5 9 5 3 
			 (xiii) more than six months 4 4 1 1 1 
			 (xiv) more than one year 0 0 0 0 0 
		
	
	
		
			 Westminster Foundation for Democracy 
			 Sick days 2012-13 2011-12 2010-11 2009-10 2008-09 
			 (i) fewer than 5 days 14 16 11 7 8 
			 (ii) 5-10 days 3 1 1 3 0 
			 (iii) 11-15 days 0 0 1 0 0 
			 (iv) 16-20 days 0 0 0 0 0 
			 (v) 21-25 days 0 0 0 0 0 
			 (vi) 26-50 days 0 0 0 0 0 
			 (vii) 1-75 days 0 0 0 0 0 
			 (viii) 75-100 days 0 0 0 0 0 
			 (ix) 100-150 days 0 0 0 0 0 
			 (x) 150-200 days 0 0 0 0 0 
			 (xi) more than 200 days 0 0 0 0 0 
			 (xii) more than three months 0 0 0 0 0 
			 (xiii) more than six months 0 0 0 0 0 
			 (xiv) more than one year 0 0 0 0 0 
		
	
	
		
			 Great Britain—China Centre 
			 Sick days 2008-13 
			 (i) fewer than 5 days 0 
			 (ii) 5-10 days 9 
			 (iii) 11-15 days 0 
			 (iv) 16-20 days 0 
			 (v) 21-25 days 0 
			 (vi) 26-50 days 0 
			 (vii) 1-75 days 1 
			 (viii) 75-100 days 1 
			 (ix) 100-150 days 0 
			 (x) 150-200 days 0 
			 (xi) more than 200 days 0 
			 (xii) more than three months 0 
		
	
	
		
			 (xiii) more than six months 0 
			 (xiv) more than one year 0 
		
	
	
		
			 Wilton Park 
			 Sick days 2012-13 2011-12 2010-11 2009-10 2008-09 
			 (i) fewer than 5 days 43 43 37 46 47 
			 (ii) 5-10 days 18 16 13 10 15 
			 (iii) 11-15 days 6 2 8 12 5 
			 (iv) 16-20 days 2 1 1 3 0 
			 (v) 21-25 days 0 2 2 1 2 
			 (vi) 26-50 days 2 1 4 2 1 
			 (vii) 1-75 days 2 3 3 1 0 
			 (viii) 75-100 days 0 0 0 0 1 
			 (ix) 100-150 days 0 0 0 0 2 
			 (x) 150-200 days 0 0 0 0 0 
			 (xi) more than 200 days 0 0 0 0 0 
			 (xii) more than three months 2 2 2 1 2 
			 (xiii) more than six months 0 0 0 0 1 
			 (xiv) more than one year 0 0 0 0 0 
		
	
	The Foreign Compensation Commission and Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission do not employ any staff and therefore have no sick absences to record.

Syria

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government has taken to help ensure that there is no use of chemical weapons in Syria.

Alistair Burt: The British Government has repeatedly made clear, both publically and in private, that the use of chemical weapons would be a horrific crime. We have warned President Assad's regime that the use of these weapons would lead to a serious response from the international community. Those who order the use of chemical weapons, and those who use them, will be held to account. We have also made this point to the opposition. We continue to work closely with our international partners, including the US, to monitor developments related to Syria's chemical weapons and welcome the UN Secretary-General's decision to initiate an investigation into the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria. To prevent the proliferation of Syria's chemical weapons we have secured EU sanctions against goods and equipment that could be used as part of a chemical weapon programme and Syria-specific controls within the Australia Group to prevent the transfer of chemical weapons-related goods.

Syria

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department has taken to protect followers of the Christian faith subject to persecution in the conflict in Syria.

Alistair Burt: The situation in Syria continues to deteriorate, inflicting a heavy cost on the country's population, including its minority groups. Like others in the region, Syrians demand that their rights to liberty, dignity and to choose freely their leaders be recognized. We regularly meet representatives and members of minority groups and we continue to encourage the Syrian National Coalition to reassure all Syrians that they are working towards a Syria which is democratic, inclusive, representative, respectful of its ethnic and religious minorities and which adheres to international human rights conventions. We remain resolute in our support of the Syrian people's demands for a peaceful and democratic transition to a more open society, one that respects the rights of all its citizens, Allawite or Sunni, Christian or Kurd.

Syria

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 25 March 2013, Official Report, columns 912-13W, on Syria, what assessment he has made of the dangers of al-Qaeda-related groups in the middle east using captured chemical weapons for terrorist attacks against the UK and the US.

Alistair Burt: The vulnerability of Syria’s chemical weapons stocks is very difficult to assess as I made clear in my answer on 25 March 2013, Official Report, columns 912-13W, however, we remain extremely concerned. The Syrian regime is legally obliged under UN Security Council resolution 1540 to keep its chemical weapons secure and we have continued to stress the need to fulfil this obligation. As I noted on 25 March, some expertise, as well as access to appropriate delivery systems, is needed to handle and exploit chemical weapons. I cannot speculate on whether al-Qaeda-related groups have such capability, but we continue to monitor the situation very closely.

Tourism: Northern Ireland

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to promote Northern Ireland as part of the GREAT campaign.

Hugo Swire: The GREAT campaign showcases the best of what the United Kingdom has to offer to encourage the world to visit, study and do business here. It is designed to make the most of the economic opportunities presented by 2012 and focuses on trade, inward investment, tourism and attracting international students to all parts of the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland. The campaign is active in 86 countries around the world and draws together the national promotion efforts of UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), VisitBritain, the British Council and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
	UKTI works closely with Invest Northern Ireland to ensure Northern Ireland is a beneficiary from leads and interest generated by the GREAT campaign, and the Minister of State for Trade and Investment, my noble Friend Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint, has visited Northern Ireland on several occasions, most recently last October. VisitBritain's GREAT marketing programme uses images of Northern Ireland, for example of the Giant's Causeway, in their overseas advertising.
	The British Council also promotes UK educational excellence globally through their 'Education is GREAT' campaign. All schools and education institutions from across Northern Ireland are an integral component of the UK's educational offer.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Aviation

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will make representations to Virgin Airlines requesting that they commence flights from Belfast International airport to London Heathrow.

Theresa Villiers: While this is a commercial matter for the airline concerned, I shall nevertheless pass on the hon. Member's representations when I next meet Virgin Airlines.

Corporation Tax

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent steps she has taken to further the case for the devolution of corporation tax to the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Theresa Villiers: The Prime Minister and I recently met the First and deputy First Minister to discuss next steps on the potential devolution of corporation tax powers.
	I will continue to work closely with my ministerial colleagues on this proposal.

Corporation Tax

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when she last met the Chancellor of the Exchequer to discuss the devolution of corporation tax to the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Theresa Villiers: I met the Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), in March to discuss the potential devolution of corporation tax powers to the Northern Ireland Assembly. I will continue to work closely with the Chancellor as we take forward further work on this important issue.

Devolution

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when she last met the First Minister of Northern Ireland; and what issues were discussed.

Theresa Villiers: I last met the First Minister and Deputy First Minister on the 26 March 2013 with the Prime Minister. The meeting discussed next steps on the potential for devolving corporation tax powers and wider measures to boost growth in Northern Ireland and promote a shared society that can maximise its economic potential.

Economic Growth

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions she has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on measures to stimulate growth in the private sector in Northern Ireland; and if she will make a statement.

Theresa Villiers: I have regular meetings with Northern Ireland Executive Ministers to discuss these matters. The Prime Minister and I met the First Minister and Deputy First Minister on 26 March when we discussed an economic package for Northern Ireland which would help stimulate growth in the private sector, to be pursued in parallel with continuing work on the possible devolution of corporation tax.
	I shall continue these discussions with the Executive in the coming weeks.

Overtime

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate she has made of the total cost of overtime payments in each pay grade in her Department.

Theresa Villiers: The Northern Ireland Office keeps all staff costs, including overtime under regular review. Overtime is only used to carry out specific work which cannot be done in normal working hours and must be authorised in advance by managers. No estimate has been made by pay grade for the total cost of overtime payments.

Presbyterian Mutual Society

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment she has made of the findings of the Northern Ireland Ombudsman's report on the management and administration of the Presbyterian Mutual Society; and if she will make a statement.

Theresa Villiers: The Government has worked closely with the Northern Ireland Executive to fund a package of assistance to address the needs of investors in the Presbyterian Mutual Society.
	The Assembly Ombudsman for Northern Ireland investigates complaints of injustice on behalf of complainants who believe they have suffered maladministration by Northern Ireland Executive departments and public bodies that are the responsibility of Northern Ireland Ministers.
	As the Ombudsman's report in respect of the Presbyterian Mutual Society relates to a transferred matter it would not be appropriate for me to offer any assessment or to comment upon it.

Security

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions she has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on the level of resources available to the security forces in 2013.

Theresa Villiers: I meet regularly with both the Minister for Justice and the Chief Constable on a wide range of policing issues including discussions on resourcing. The provision by this Government of an additional £200 million funding to the PSNI is a clear demonstration of our commitment to supporting the police.

Security

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent assessment she has made of the security situation in Northern Ireland; and if she will make a statement.

Theresa Villiers: While the threat level in Northern Ireland remains at Severe, progress has been made. Excellent co-operation between the PSNI and its partners has put terrorist groups under strain.
	This Government remains fully committed to supporting the Northern Ireland Executive in building safer communities free from fear and intimidation.

Unemployment

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when she will next discuss the latest unemployment figures for Northern Ireland with Ministers in the Northern Ireland Executive; and if she will make a statement.

Michael Penning: The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chipping Barnet (Mrs Villiers), and I have ongoing meetings with Northern Ireland Executive Ministers and regularly discuss economic matters, including how we can tackle unemployment in Northern Ireland. The Prime Minister discussed with the First and Deputy First Ministers on 26 March the work of the joint ministerial working group on rebalancing the Northern Ireland economy and how best to boost jobs and growth.
	The Government’s efforts to reduce the largest structural deficit in UK peacetime history and deliver sustainable economic recovery—all underpinned by the latest measures announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), in the Budget—remain the best way to help people find employment.

Visits Abroad

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many overseas visits have been made by Ministers of her Department to support trade and investment in each year since 2010.

Theresa Villiers: Though the Northern Ireland Executive carries the principal responsibility on trade and investment promotion visits, we take the opportunity of each overseas visit to promote Northern Ireland as a destination for trade and investment. This has also been the practice of our predecessors.
	On my trip to the United States in March, I met the senior HBO executives responsible for bringing production of the series ‘Game of Thrones’ to Northern Ireland and discussed their plans for future series there. I also raised the subject of trade and investment with senior figures in New York's Irish American community, and with senior members of the United States Administration and Congress.
	Trade and investment is also a regular item for discussion when I meet Irish Ministers during my visits to Dublin.
	My right hon. Friend the Member for North Shropshire (Mr Paterson), when Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, sought to undertake trade and investment activity during his trips to the United States. My right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire) was invited by the Northern Ireland Minister for Trade and Investment to accompany her on a trade mission to the Gulf States in February 2012 when he was Minister of State at the Northern Ireland Office.
	In my regular meetings with Executive Ministers I have made clear my willingness to work closely with them to support trade and investment.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Alcoholic Drinks: Prices

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations she has received from (a) individuals and (b) organisations on a minimum unit price on alcohol.

Damian Green: Home Office Ministers and officials have had meetings with a wide variety of organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors as part of the public consultation on the Government's alcohol strategy. The consultation closed on 6 February. We are currently analysing the responses we have received to the consultation and will publish a response shortly.

Borders: Personal Records

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been spent on the e-Borders programme to date; and how much she estimates will be spent on the project in the next five years.

Mark Harper: The total spend from 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2013 on the e-Borders programme is £475 million (please note that the spend for the month of March 2013 is estimated).
	The Home Office is not currently able to confirm the future spend on the e-Borders programme but will be able to do this once the binding arbitration following the termination of the contract with Raytheon Systems Ltd is complete.

Deportation

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average cost is of each attempt to remove from the UK an individual who no longer has permission to remain.

Mark Harper: In financial year 2011-12, the average cost to the UK Border Agency of each removal was £3,281. This has been calculated by dividing the total cost of our removal activity by the volume of removals in that financial year. The cost of unsuccessful attempts at removal is absorbed within this average cost.

Domestic Violence: Martial Arts

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will assess the effect on incidences of violence against women of the practice of mixed martial arts.

Damian Green: There are no plans to assess the effect on incidences of violence against women of the practice of mixed martial arts.

Edinburgh Airport: Immigration Controls

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times the UK Border Force target for queuing times for (a) EEA and (b) non-EEA passengers at Edinburgh Airport were breached in (i) October 2012, (ii) November 2012, (iii) December 2012 and (iv) January 2013.

Mark Harper: holding answer 5 March 2013
	During October, November and December 2012 and in January 2013, queues exceeding service standards occurred on the following number of occasions:
	
		
			 Edinburgh airport 
			  Number of queues exceeding service standards Number of queue measurements taken 
			  EEA Non EEA EEA Non EEA 
			 2012     
			 October 0 0 325 243 
			 November 1 0 297 244 
			 December 0 0 344 294 
			      
			 2013     
			 January 0 0 321 279 
			 Note: Figures quoted are management information only which have been subject to internal quality checks and may be subject to change. 
		
	
	I also refer you to the published statistics on the clearance of passengers, at the national level:
	http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/aboutus/clearance-of-passengers/

Entry Clearances

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average waiting time for tier 2 (intra-company transfer) applications was in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012; and how many such applicants waited more than (i) six and (ii) 12 months for a decision on their application.

Mark Harper: holding answer 18 March 2013
	The figures requested are provided in the following tables and have been separated into postal applications and premium (in person) applications.
	
		
			 Table 1: Tier 2 intra-company transfer application average waiting times, January 2010 to December 2012 
			  Average processing time (calendar days) 
			 Dispatch year Postal applications Premium applications 
			 2010 34 2 
			 2011 42 2 
			 2012 54 3 
			 Notes: 1. All figures quoted have been derived from management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols. 2. Figures relate to main applicants only. 3. Figures relate to postal applications and to premium applications submitted at UKBA public enquiry offices (PEOs). 4. All figures relate to tier 2 intra-company transfer applications decided and dispatched between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2012. 5. Processing time is based on the average number of calendar days from application raised (i.e. received) date to decision dispatch date. Figures relate to completed applications only. 6. Data generated on 14 March 2013. 7. Premium Service is a service at our public enquiry offices for applicants in the UK who want to submit their application in person and receive a decision on the same day. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Tier 2 intra-company transfer ‘postal’ applications decided based on length of time taken to reach decision, January 2010 to December 2012 
			 Dispatch year 0 to 6 months 6 to 12 months 12-plus months Total 
			 2010 5,635 * * 5,640 
			 2011 5,165 * * 5,170 
			 2012 6,300 25 5 6,330 
			 Total 17,100 30 10 17,140 
			 Notes: 1. All figures quoted have been derived from management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols. 2. Figures relate to main applicants only. 3. Figures relate to postal applications in table 2, and to premium applications submitted at UKBA Public Enquiry Offices (PEO) in table 3. 4. All figures relate to tier 2 intra-company transfer applications decided and dispatched between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2012. 5. Time taken to reach decision based on the number of calendar days from application raised (i.e. received) date to decision dispatch date. 0 to 6 months based on 0 to 182 days; 6 to 12 months based on 183 to 365 days; and 12-plus months based on more than 365 days. Figures relate to completed applications only. 6. Figures rounded to the nearest 5 (‘—’ = 0, ‘*’ = 1 or 2) and may not sum to the totals shown because of independent rounding. 7. Data generated on 14 March 2013. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 3: Tier 2 intra-company transfer ‘premium’ applications decided based on length of time taken to reach decision, January 2010 to December 2012 
			 Dispatch year 0 to 6 months 6 to 12 months 12-plus months Total 
			 2010 1,205 — — 1,205 
			 2011 1,615 * — 1,615 
			 2012 2,625 — * 2,625 
			 Total 5,440 * * 5,445 
			 Notes: 1. All figures quoted have been derived from management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols. 2. Figures relate to main applicants only. 3. Figures relate to postal applications in table 2, and to premium applications submitted at UKBA Public Enquiry Offices (PEO) in table 3. 4. All figures relate to tier 2 intra-company transfer applications decided and dispatched between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2012. 5. Time taken to reach decision based on the number of calendar days from application raised (i.e. received) date to decision dispatch date. 0 to 6 months based on 0 to 182 days; 6 to 12 months based on 183 to 365 days; and 12-plus months based on more than 365 days. Figures relate to completed applications only. 6. Figures rounded to the nearest 5 (‘—’ = 0, ‘*’ = 1 or 2) and may not sum to the totals shown because of independent rounding. 7. Data generated on 14 March 2013. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 4: Tier 2 intra-company transfer postal applications decided within published customer service standard targets, January 2010 to December 2012 
			 Dispatch year Published service standard (Percentage of applications within four weeks) Applications decided within service standard (Percentage) 
			 January to March 2010 75 97 
			 April 2010 to March 2011 75 99 
			 April 2011 to March 2012 75 93 
			 April 2012 to December 2012 90 69 
			 Notes: 1. All figures quoted have been derived from management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols. 2. Figures relate to main applicants only. 3. Figures relate to postal applications only. 4. All figures relate to tier 2 intra-company transfer applications decided and dispatched between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2012. 5. Time taken to reach decision based on the number of calendar days from application raised (i.e. received) date to decision dispatch date. 6. Data generated on 14 March 2013.

Entry Clearances: Business

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will assess the clarity and intelligibility of the questions asked on the UK Border Agency business visitor visa application form published in December 2012.

Mark Harper: The Government supports economic growth by delivering an effective visa service which processed over 360,000 applications for business visit visas in 2012.
	The application form for a business visit visa application was reviewed and updated in December 2012. The majority of the questions on the application form are there to gather background information (personal details—including where the applicant lives and with whom, what their income is, what they do for a living, details of previous travel and so forth). These are the same questions that are asked of all visit visa applicants. The questions towards the end of the form are tailored to the specific application category, and so these forms ask who the applicant is coming to the UK to see/do business with, who is funding the trip, where the applicant will stay and so forth.
	Since the form was updated, the UK Border Agency has processed over 50,000 business visa applications worldwide, and has issued over 90% of them.
	Currently, around 95% of applicants apply through the Agency's online application system. We are working to improve the online application process for all visa application categories (including business visit visa applications) to make it a more intuitive and customer friendly web application, including better signposting to the right visa application category and improved help text (which will be available in a number of key languages).

Entry Clearances: Middle East

Mark Reckless: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will list visit visa requirements for nationals of the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

Mark Harper: The requirements for those applying for a visa as a visitor are set out in paragraphs 40-56Z and 75A-75M of the Immigration Rules. These requirements vary depending on the specific type of visitor visa being sought and apply equally to nationals of all countries applying in this capacity.

Human Trafficking: Children

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how her Department monitors and evaluates the functioning of the National Referral Mechanism for child victims of trafficking; and what plans she has to report on its findings.

Mark Harper: The Inter-departmental Ministerial Group (IDMG) oversees UK human trafficking activity including the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) and in its role as a National Rapporteur equivalent mechanism in accordance with the EU directive on trafficking the IDMG considers emerging trends in NRM data at regular IDMG meetings.
	The day-to-day functioning of the NRM is monitored by a multi-agency official oversight group chaired by the Home Office, which includes representatives from local authorities, the devolved Administrations, the Association of Chief Police Officers and non-governmental organisations with a direct involvement in the NRM. This includes those involved in protecting child victims of trafficking, namely the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children and Barnardos.

Illegal Immigrants: Yorkshire and the Humber

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many raids on (a) home addresses and (b) workplaces the UK Border Agency has conducted in (i) Brigg and Goole constituency and (ii) Yorkshire and the Humber in the last 12 months.

Mark Harper: holding answer 25 March 2013
	The UK Border Agency does not collate information centrally on the number of home and workplace enforcement visits specifically by constituency or at county level. Information is available relating to activity at a regional level for the North East. This information can be split between visits made to residential venues and visits made to non-residential venues.
	Records indicate that within the North East(1) area between January and December 2012, the UK Border Agency carried out 1,020 enforcement visits to residential venues. In the same period the UK Border Agency also carried out 755 visits to non-residential venues.
	All figures quoted have been derived from management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols.
	(1) The “North East” for this purpose is defined by the local immigration teams which operate from within it, consisting of Durham, Northumbria, Teesside, Tyne Tees, Humberside, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire.

Immigration

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what checks are made to determine that the UK is a country of residence for non-EU nationals.

Mark Harper: Immigration or residence status determines a non-EEA migrant's eligibility to apply for work, benefits and certain public services in the UK. Employers, Government Departments and local authorities conduct entitlement and right to work checks under a range of legislation regulating access. The Government is introducing biometric residence permits to non-EEA nationals granted permission to stay in the UK for more than six months to make these checks more effective.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what checks are in place to determine whether an EU national has met the criteria for permanent residence in the UK and that such people remain legally a permanent resident.

Mark Harper: Strict checks are in place to ensure that those EU nationals who apply for a document confirming a right of permanent residence meet the requirements set out in the Regulations, including checks on whether the EU national has continuously exercised free movement rights. A document confirming a right of permanent residence may also be revoked where there is evidence that an EU national has ceased to have such a right or the Secretary of State considers that their removal is justified on grounds of public policy, public security or public health.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many EU nationals have acquired the right to permanent residence in the UK in each of the last five years.

Mark Harper: Statistics on the total number of EU nationals who have acquired the right to permanent residence are not available. The available information is of those that have applied for documents certifying their permanent residence in the UK. Some may have chosen not to apply for such documentation.
	
		
			 Documents issued 
			  Number 
			 2007 3,915 
			 2008 1,718 
			 2009 5,993 
			 2010 9,409 
			 2011 11,679 
		
	
	The latest Home Office immigration statistics on grants and refusals of applications for residence documentation from both EEA nationals and non-EEA family members are published in the release Immigration Statistics, which is available at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/immigration-asylum-research/immigration-q4-2012/
	A copy of the latest release, 'Immigration Statistics October - December' has been placed in the House Library.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many EU nationals have lost the right to permanent residence in the UK after living outside the UK for over two consecutive years in each of the last five years.

Mark Harper: Data on the revocation of permanent residence cards is not broken down by reason for revocation.

Immigration: ICT

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate her Department has made of the cost of a modernised IT system for the immigration system.

Mark Harper: As the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), announced in her statement to the House on 26 March 2013, Official Report, columns 1500-1510, the Permanent Secretary of the Home Office and the Home Office Board have been asked to produce a new plan for a modernised IT system to support immigration caseworking.

Mobile Phones

Dai Havard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which company holds the largest contract to provide mobile telephony services to the Criminal Records Bureau; how much is paid each year under that contract; how many individual devices are covered by the contract; when the contract was awarded; and when and how the contract will next be reviewed.

James Brokenshire: Vodafone was awarded the contract to provide mobile telephony services to the Home Office on 30 June 2011. The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) were provided with mobile telephony services under that contract. Quarterly meetings are held with Vodafone to review its performance. The contract is due to expire on 29 June 2015.
	From 1 December 2012, the functions previously undertaken by the CRB and Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) have been carried out by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). Since December 2012, the contract has covered the DBS.
	There were 83 individual devices held on the CRB account. From January 2012 to December 2012, £8,499.74 was paid on the contract. This covers 11 months under the CRB account and one month under the DBS account.

National Crime Agency: Northern Ireland

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she plans to have on the National Crime Agency with (a) the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, (b) the Justice Secretary in Northern Ireland and (c) political parties in Northern Ireland; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: The Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), Home Office Ministers and officials have regular exchanges to support discussions on the National Crime Agency in Northern Ireland. We remain committed to delivering a UK-wide crime fighting agency focused on tackling serious, organised and complex crime.

Plants

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department has spent on indoor and outdoor plants and trees since her appointment.

James Brokenshire: A limited amount of planting is provided through the 2002 PFI contract in some of the internal and external shared areas of our headquarters building, the costs of which are not charged separately. Elsewhere on the Department’s estate, figures on plants and trees costs are not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Police and Crime Commissioners

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will publish the names, job titles and salaries of all deputies, assistants and advisers appointed by police and crime commissioners in each policy authority area.

Damian Green: The Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011, requires that police and crime commissioners (PCCs) appoint a chief executive and chief financial officer. It is for PCCs to determine what further staff they require to support them in their duties. The Act also requires each PCC to publish the number of staff that they employ, along with an organisational chart showing the structure of the staff and the job title, responsibilities and salary of those earning above £58,200.

Police Patrolling

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 1 March 2013, Official Report, column 709W, on Police Patrolling: Birmingham, if she will take steps to collect data on the amount of time that police officers spend on street patrols in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Damian Green: The Home Office has no plans to collect data on the average amount of time spent by officers on street patrols.

Sexual Offences: North Yorkshire

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects to open a sexual assault and rape centre in North Yorkshire; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: Commissioning of sexual assault referral centres (SARCs) is a locally determined issue. However, North Yorkshire police have advised that the local SARC facility will open on 1 May 2013.

Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps need to be taken before individuals currently subject to terrorism prevention and investigation measures can be prosecuted in a criminal trial.

James Brokenshire: Section 10 of the Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures (“TPIM”) Act 2011 includes a specific requirement for the prospect of prosecution to be reviewed both before the TPIM notice is imposed and during its lifetime, so that TPIM notices are only used for those individuals that we cannot prosecute for terrorism offences or, in the case of foreign nationals, deport at present.
	The process for bringing charges against an individual subject to a TPIM notice is, whether for terrorism-related activity, for alleged breaches of the measures in the notice terrorism or for other criminal activity, managed by the police and the Crown Prosecution Service and is the same as for any other individual.

Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what categories of criminal evidence the Government holds on individuals currently subject to terrorism prevention and investigation measures.

James Brokenshire: For operational reasons, I cannot comment on individual cases.

Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions she has had with the Director of Public Prosecutions on the prosecution of individuals currently subject to terrorism prevention and investigation measures.

James Brokenshire: Home Office Ministers have regular meetings with ministerial colleagues and others as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Theft: Dogs

Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of dog theft have been recorded in (a) Dartford constituency, (b) Kent and (c) the UK in each of the last three years.

Damian Green: It is not possible to identify offences of dog theft from the police recorded crime statistics, and this information is not held centrally by the Home Office.

UK Border Agency

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 25 February 2013, Official Report, column 156W, on premium service appointments: Liverpool, how many premium service appointments were missed at each office in 2012; and what steps are being taken to stop the abuse of this system.

Mark Harper: The figures requested are not available through published statistics; however, some local data are available. There are no figures available in Croydon, Sheffield and Solihull for the whole of 2012.
	Where the Home Office identifies abuse of the appointment booking system, the facility is withdrawn from those involved. A non-refundable appointment booking fee and payment at the time of booking was introduced on 8 April 2013 to prevent abuse of the system.
	
		
			 Premium service appointments at public enquiry offices (PEOs) available and unattended in 2012 
			 Public enquiry office Total appointments (number) Missed appointments (number) Percentage of total appointments (%) 
			 Belfast 1,460 207 14.2 
			 Cardiff 5,158 895 17.4 
			 Croydon (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Glasgow 5,408 772 14.3 
			 Liverpool 15,124 3,109 20.6 
			 Sheffield (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Solihull (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 (1) Not available. Notes: 1. The figures quoted (where available) have been derived from local management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols. 2. Data generated on 12 and 13 March 2013.

UK Border Agency

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 25 February 2013, Official Report, column 156W, on UK Border Agency, how many people failed to attend the UK Border Agency offices for premium service appointments in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012; and what estimate her Department has made of the cost of such lost appointments.

Mark Harper: The figures requested are not available through published statistics; however, some local data is available. There are no figures available in Solihull. Croydon, Sheffield and Belfast have limited data.
	
		
			 Premium service appointments at all public enquiry offices (PEOs) available and unattended in 2010, 2011 and 2012 
			  2010 2011 2012 
			 Public enquiry office Total Missed % of total Total Missed % of total Total Missed % of total 
			 Belfast 541 n/a n/a 1,348 n/a n/a 1,460 207 14.2 
			 Cardiff 4,774 626 13.1 4,760 944 19.8 5,158 895 17.4 
			 Croydon 41,487 6,742 16.3 62,986 8,249 13.1 n/a n/a n/a 
			 Glasgow 7,640 840 11 9,620 700 7.3 5,408 772 14.3 
			 Liverpool 9,995 1,431 14.3 12,200 1,440 11.8 15,124 3,109 20.6 
			 Sheffield 11,454 1,879 16.4 8,568 1,245 14.5 n/a n/a n/a 
			 Solihull n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 n/a = information not available. Notes: 1. The figures quoted (where available) have been derived from local management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under the National Statistics protocols. 2. Data generated on 12 and 13 March 2013. 
		
	
	Information relating to the cost of missed appointments is not specifically recorded. It is not possible to estimate the cost of missed appointments over this period with any degree of accuracy.
	Notes:
	1. Appointment data is not available for all offices.
	2. An application to extend leave to remain is a mandatory requirement and, as such, an application must be made either by post or in person. As a result, although income may not be realised on a specific day the application would generally be submitted at a later date and the income subsequently earned.
	3. It has long been the practice in public enquiry offices to overbook appointments beyond actual capacity to compensate for customers who fail to attend. As a result although appointments may be missed this does not necessarily equate to actual income lost.

UK Border Agency

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  whether the UK Border Agency has transferred staff from other areas of the agency for the purposes of tackling the backlog of migration cases; and what the effect has been on the level of performance in affected areas;
	(2)  whether the visa processing times for each area of temporary migration were within service standard in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Mark Harper: The UK Border Agency transferred staff from other areas of the agency to work on the temporary migration cases backlog. This measure, in addition to the recruitment of additional staff, resulted in an increased level of performance across all backlog areas. Staff were not transferred from other frontline delivery roles but from back office roles, allowing for a short-term staffing dip in these areas without significant performance drops. The UK Border Agency published figures on its performance against migration service standards on a quarterly basis as part of its commitment to transparency. These data are disaggregated by quarter and work stream and cover the period from April 2010 to December 2012. The latest figures are available from the Library of the House and from the UK Border Agency website at:
	http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/aboutus/percentage-of-migration/
	The next quarterly statistics covering the period January to March 2013 will be published on 23 May 2013.

UK Border Agency

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to her statement of 26 March 2013, Official Report, columns 1500-10, on UK Border Agency, what the procedure will be for responding to hon. Members on constituency immigration cases.

Mark Harper: Hon. Members should continue to contact their regional MP Account Manager or the dedicated MPs' Enquiry Line. These teams can deal with enquiries by telephone or email and will often offer a faster service than a formal reply.
	Alternatively, hon. Members may write (via Government Mail Service) to MPs' Liaison Unit, Lunar House, 40 Wellesley Road, Croydon, Surrey, CR9 2BY or (by Royal Mail) to MPs' Liaison Unit, PO Box 1586, Lunar House, 40 Wellesley Road, Croydon, Surrey, CR9 2BY.

UK Border Agency: Northern Ireland

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how the UK Border Agency performed against its published service standards in Northern Ireland in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012;
	(2)  how the UK Border Agency in Northern Ireland performed compared with the rest of the United Kingdom in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.

Mark Harper: The UK Border Agency publishes figures on its performance against migration service standards on a quarterly basis as part of its commitment to transparency. Although these figures are not disaggregated by constituent countries within the United Kingdom, they are divided by quarter and by work stream, and cover the period from April 2010 to December 2012. The latest figures are available from the Agency's website link and the following tables:
	http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/aboutus/percentage-of-migration/
	
		
			 Table 1: In-Country Applications—Postal Service Standards 
			  2010-12 2012-13 
			 Family 65% in 4 weeks(1) 65% in 4 weeks(1) 
			 Visiting the UK 65% in 4 week(1) 80% in 4 weeks(1) 
			 Employment 75% in 4 weeks(1) 90% in 4 weeks(1) 
			 Study 75% in 4 weeks(1) 85% in 4 weeks(1) 
			 Permanent Residence 95% in 6 months(1) 99% in 6 months(1) 
			 European Casework, ECAA and Bulgaria and Romania Casework 95% in 6 months(1) 99% in 6 months(1) 
			 Accession 95% in 4 weeks 99% in 4 weeks 
			 British Citizenship 95% in 6 months 99% in 6 months 
			 Sponsor Licensing 65% in 4 weeks 80% in 4 weeks 
			 (1) Premium Service Standard is 95% on same day. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Overseas Service Standards 
			  %/weeks 
			 Non-settlement visas 90% in 3 weeks 
			 Settlement visas 95% in 12 weeks 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 3: Percentage of migration applications decided within published standards, April to September 2010 
			  Quarter 1 2010-11 Quarter 2 2010-11 
			  % of Applications decided within Service Standard No. of applications decided within Service Standard Total number of applications decided % of Applications decided within Service Standard No. of applications decided within Service Standard Total number of applications decided 
			 Family and Visiting the UK 66 15,832 24,157 59 14,060 23,675 
			 Employment 87 19,220 21,980 86 20,297 23,472 
			 Study 73 21,564 29,484 83 23,498 28,254 
			 Permanent Residence 91 30,880 34,075 87 31,431 36,083 
			 European Casework, ECAA and Bulgaria and Romania Casework 93 15,934 17,089 79 27,132 34,139 
			 Accession 99 66,352 66,767 98 77,292 78,787 
			 British Citizenship 99 51,765 52,429 99 55,998 56,658 
			 Sponsor Licensing 82 2,823 3,447 58 1,819 3,135 
			 Non-settlement visas 92 668,296 724,092 96 719,577 752,223 
			 Settlement visas 89 16,395 18,493 88 17,258 19,667 
			 Overall total 92 909,061 992,013 94 988,362 1,056,093 
			 Notes: 1. In-Country figures include postal and premium applications. 2. All data extracted on 5 November 2012, representing Casework Database as at 4 November 2012. 3. All figures quoted are management information which have been subject to internal quality assurance checks. However, the numbers may differ from figures published as National Statistics in the Home Office Control of Immigration statistical publications as they are drawn from different snapshots of the UK Border Agency database. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 4: Percentage of migration applications decided within published standards, October 2010 to March 2011 
			  Quarter 3 2010-11 Quarter 4 2010-11 
			  % of Applications decided within Service Standard No. of applications decided within Service Standard Total number of applications decided % of Applications decided within Service Standard No. of applications decided within Service Standard Total number of applications decided 
			 Family and Visiting the UK 57 15,313 27,080 58 16,551 28,592 
			 Employment 56 11,729 21,062 76 27,064 35,686 
			 Study 79 40,003 50,805 86 34,743 40,631 
			 Permanent Residence 78 26,821 34,255 89 32,962 37,038 
			 European Casework, ECAA and Bulgaria and Romania Casework 98 28,734 29,424 97 38,812 40,068 
			 Accession 98 72,684 74,402 98 56,013 56,866 
			 British Citizenship 99 44,493 44,983 99 50,905 51,615 
			 Sponsor Licensing 74 2,153 2,892 81 2,142 2,653 
			 Non-settlement visas 97 465,744 481,373 96 486,117 507,064 
			 Settlement visas 94 20,748 22,183 93 21,196 22,798 
			 Overall total 92 728,422 788,459 93 766,505 823,011 
			 Notes: 1. In-Country figures include postal and premium applications. 2. All data extracted on 5 November 2012, representing Casework Database as at 4 November 2012. 3. All figures quoted are management information which have been subject to internal quality assurance checks. However, the numbers may differ from figures published as National Statistics in the Home Office Control of Immigration statistical publications as they are drawn from different snapshots of the UK Border Agency database. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 5: Percentage of migration applications decided within published standards, April to September 2011 
			  Quarter 1 2011-12 Quarter 2 2011-12 
			  % of Applications decided within Service Standard No. of applications decided within Service Standard Total number of applications decided % of Applications decided within Service Standard No. of applications decided within Service Standard Total number of applications decided 
			 Family and Visiting the UK 72 10,514 14,654 70 10,834 15,519 
			 Employment 72 15,955 22,140 81 19,660 24,239 
			 Study 91 22,747 24,992 78 15,782 20,163 
			 Permanent Residence 90 27,596 30,503 92 29,388 31,907 
			 European Casework, ECAA and Bulgaria and Romania Casework 98 32,486 33,203 98 34,069 34,624 
			 Accession — — — — — — 
			 British Citizenship 98 41,629 42,384 98 49,105 49,930 
			 Sponsor Licensing 74 1,584 2,133 79 1,889 2,392 
			 Non-settlement visas 89 703,469 790,053 90 670,153 745,536 
			 Settlement visas 91 13,445 14,694 89 18,626 21,032 
		
	
	
		
			 Overall total 89 869,425 974,756 90 849,506 945,342 
			 Notes: 1. In-Country figures include postal and premium applications. 2. All data extracted on 5 November 2012, representing Casework Database as at 4 November 2012. 3. All figures quoted are management information which have been subject to internal quality assurance checks. However, the numbers may differ from figures published as National Statistics in the Home Office Control of Immigration statistical publications as they are drawn from different snapshots of the UK Border Agency database. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 6: Percentage of migration applications decided within published standards, October 2011 to March 2012 
			  Quarter 3 2011-12 Quarter 4 2011-12 
			  % of Applications decided within Service Standard No. of applications decided within Service Standard Total number of applications decided % of Applications decided within Service Standard No. of applications decided within Service Standard Total number of applications decided 
			 Family and Visiting the UK 69 10,476 15,132 61 8,158 13,311 
			 Employment 83 20,494 24,668 86 25,484 29,796 
			 Study 77 33,785 43,755 67 17,037 25,309 
			 Permanent Residence 91 26,738 29,401 91 24,655 27,158 
			 European Casework, ECAA and Bulgaria and Romania Casework 99 35,118 35,506 98 31,247 32,026 
			 Accession — — — — — — 
			 British Citizenship 98 42,396 43,139 97 47,439 48,708 
			 Sponsor Licensing 84 1,835 2,182 80 1,209 1,518 
			 Non-settlement visas 94 403,407 427,845 97 467,696 483,374 
			 Settlement visas 89 13,847 15,530 92 14,348 15,600 
			 Overall total 92 588,096 637,158 94 637,273 676,800 
			 Notes: 1. In-Country figures include postal and premium applications. 2. All data extracted on 5 November 2012, representing Casework Database as at 4 November 2012. 3. All figures quoted are management information which have been subject to internal quality assurance checks. However, the numbers may differ from figures published as National Statistics in the Home Office Control of Immigration statistical publications as they are drawn from different snapshots of the UK Border Agency database. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 7: percentage of migration applications decided within published standards, April to September 2012 
			  Quarter 1 2012-13 Quarter 2 2012-13 
			  % of Applications decided within Service Standard No. of applications decided within Service Standard Total number of applications decided % of Applications decided within Service Standard No. of applications decided within Service Standard Total number of applications decided 
			 Family 42 4,462 10,528 34 3,166 9,323 
			 Visiting the UK 37 107 288 44 146 335 
			 Employment 37 8,831 23,818 41 13,110 32,327 
			 Study 29 4,596 16,057 21 3,805 17,741 
			 Permanent Residence 84 20,997 25,072 89 21,588 24,197 
			 European Casework, ECAA and Bulgaria and Romania Casework 98 23,605 24,187 90 24,573 27,297 
			 British Citizenship 97 45,272 46,830 98 54,040 55,149 
			 Sponsor Licensing 41 309 761 62 885 1,433 
			 Non-settlement visas 94 719,092 746,403 92 668,824 724,984 
			 Settlement visas 90 13,346 14,902 70 11,149 15,855 
			 Overall total 92 840,617 908,846 88 801,286 908,641 
			 Notes: 1. In-Country figures include postal and premium applications. 2. All data extracted on 5 November 2012, representing Casework Database as at 4 November 2012. 3. All figures quoted are management information which have been subject to internal quality assurance checks. However, the numbers may differ from figures published as National Statistics in the Home Office Control of Immigration statistical publications as they are drawn from different snapshots of the UK Border Agency database. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 8: Percentage of migration applications decided within published standards, October to December 2012 
			  Quarter 3 2012-13 
			  % of Applications decided within Service Standard No. of applications decided within Service Standard Total number of applications decided 
			 Family 25 3,098 12,259 
			 Visiting the UK 44 185 418 
			 Employment 60 11,780 19,663 
			 Study 24 8,784 36,057 
		
	
	
		
			 Permanent Residence 87 23,798 27,407 
			 European Casework, ECAA and Bulgaria and Romania Casework 82 24,961 30,518 
			 British Citizenship 98 52,249 53,269 
			 Sponsor Licensing 88 4,288 4,879 
			 Non-settlement visas 94 455,166 486,056 
			 Settlement visas 53 9,620 18,113 
			 Overall total 86 593,929 688,639 
			 Notes: 1. In-Country figures include postal and premium applications. 2. All data extracted on 5 November 2012, representing Casework Database as at 4 November 2012. 3. All figures quoted are management information which have been subject to internal quality assurance checks. However, the numbers may differ from figures published as National Statistics in the Home Office Control of Immigration statistical publications as they are drawn from different snapshots of the UK Border Agency database.

Vetting

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to publish the full regulations accompanying changes to Criminal Records Bureau requirements.

James Brokenshire: On 1 December 2012, the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) replaced the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA). The DBS performs the functions previously carried out by the ISA and CRB.
	The draft statutory instruments relevant to the proposed changes to what must be disclosed by the Disclosure and Barring Service in response to an application for a criminal record certificate or an enhanced criminal record certificate were laid before Parliament on 26 March 2013.

Violence Against Women and Girls Ministerial Group

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the last meeting of the Violence Against Women and Girls Inter-Ministerial Group was held; who attended that meeting; and what items were on the agenda.

Damian Green: The Violence against Women and Girls Inter-Ministerial Group is chaired by the Secretary of State for the Home Department and meets on a quarterly basis. The last meeting took place on 6 February 2013 and discussed perpetrators of domestic violence and progress update on the cross Government Action Plan.
	The following Departments were represented:
	Home Office
	Department of Health
	Ministry of Justice
	Department for Work and Pensions
	Attorney-General Office
	The Welsh Assembly Government
	Department for International Development
	Ministry of Defence

Written Questions: Government Responses

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to answer named day written parliamentary questions 146405, 146411, 146412, 146413 and 146414 tabled on 28 February for answer on 5 March 2013 and question 145587 tabled on 26 February for answer on 1 March 2013; and for what reasons each of these questions was not answered on the day named.

Mark Harper: holding answer 25 March 2013
	Parliamentary questions 146405, 146412, 146413, and 145587 were answered on 26 March 2013. Parliamentary question 146414 was answered on 10 April 2013 and 146411 answered on 15 April 2013. I apologise for the delay in providing a response.

DEFENCE

Trident

Bob Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the future of the UK’s Trident-based nuclear deterrent.

Philip Hammond: The Government’s policy is that the Vanguard class submarines will be replaced in the late 2020s by a new class of successor strategic missile submarines carrying the Trident missile, subject to a main gate investment approval in 2016.

Middle East

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the defence situation in the middle east.

Andrew Murrison: The security situation in the middle east remains fragile, as populations continue to demand greater political, social and economic freedom. In particular, the conflict in Syria is deteriorating but we are pursuing efforts to deliver a political solution. The UK also remains concerned over Iran’s nuclear programme and is committed to a twin track approach of pressure through sanctions and engagement through multilateral negotiations to achieve a diplomatic solution to Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. But, as with Syria, no options have been removed from the table.

Afghanistan

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress his Department has made on calculating the costs of withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Andrew Robathan: We continue to work on identifying the most cost-effective solution for the redeployment of both military personnel and equipment, considered alongside operational priority and security. We expect estimated costs to be produced in the summer. We want to continue to take advantage of the investment we have made in these operations, as a result of which, our troops have never been better equipped. We will be discussing carefully with the Treasury and National Audit Office how we maximise the continuing return on this investment.

Defence Expenditure

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent representations he has received on defence expenditure.

Philip Hammond: I receive regular representations about defence expenditure, both orally and in writing, from a range of interested parties, including hon. Members, other Governments, industry and the public and of course, not least, from my hon. Friend himself.

Defence Expenditure

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent representations he has received on defence expenditure.

Philip Hammond: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Basildon and Billericay (Mr Baron).

Air Force: Military Bases

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 25 March 2013, on defence estate rationalisation, which three Typhoon squadrons will be based at RAF Lossiemouth; and how many (a) regular and (b) reserve squadrons of Lightning II will be based at RAF Marham;
	(2)  pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 25 March 2013, defence estate rationalisation update, how many (a) regular and (b) reserve squadrons of Lightning II will be based at RAF Marham in each year from 2018 to 2025; and what the planned out of service date for each squadron of Tornado GR4 is.

Andrew Robathan: I refer the hon. Member to the statement I made on 25 March 2013, Official Report, column 65WS. In which, I said that, No. 1 (Fighter) Squadron and No. 6 Squadron currently based at RAF Leuchars which provide the Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) (Interceptor) North role will relocate to RAF Lossiemouth. A decision on the third Typhoon squadron to be based at RAF Lossiemouth has not yet been taken.
	The Ministry of Defence will now commence detailed planning to ascertain the most effective Lightning II Squadron lay-down at RAF Marham. There are no plans to form Reserve Lightning II Squadrons. The outcome of this work and details on the planned out of service date for each Tornado GR4 Squadron will be taken in due course.

Armed Forces: Northern Ireland

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people from Northern Ireland have joined HM armed forces in each of the last three years.

Mark Francois: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for the Armed Forces, my right hon. Friend the Member for South Leicestershire (Mr Robathan), on 6 March 2013, Official Report, column 1096W, to the hon. Member for Kilmarnock and Loudon (Cathy Jamieson).

Armed Forces: Schools

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many visits the armed forces made to (a) state secondary schools, (b) independent schools and (c) colleges in (i) Scotland, (ii) Wales, (iii) England and (iv) Northern Ireland in 2011-12.

Mark Francois: This information is not held in the format requested, but the number of visits in 2011-12, broken down by service and UK country is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Country Number of visits by the Royal Navy Number of visits by the Army Number of visits by the Royal Air Force 
			 Scotland 304 491 416 
			 Wales 146 476 91 
			 England 1,821 4,534 2,094 
			 Northern Ireland 188 153 110 
		
	
	These visits can comprise presentations, citizenship talks, meetings with staff, participation in career events, practice interviews and activities with the students. Activities with students can comprise science and maths challenges, and other indoor or outdoor exercises.
	The armed forces do not visit schools for recruitment purposes and would only ever visit a school after being invited by a teacher to support school activities. Similar contributions to schools are made by the police, fire, ambulance and other emergency services. The armed forces get numerous requests from schools each year and the three services take these opportunities to explain to children their role to protect the nation and pass on valuable skills such as leadership, teamwork and citizenship.

Armed Forces: Schools

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many visits the armed forces made to (a) state secondary schools, (b) independent schools and (c) colleges in each (i) local authority area and (ii) parliamentary constituency in 2011-12.

Mark Francois: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for the Armed Forces, my right hon. Friend the right hon. Member for South Leicestershire (Mr Robathan), on 6 March 2013, Official Report, column 1096W, to the hon. Member for Kilmarnock and Loudoun (Cathy Jamieson).

Armed Forces: Young Offenders

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the report published in The Lancet, Violent offending by UK military personnel deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan: a data linkage cohort study, 16 March 2013, what assessment he has made of the increased risks of violent offending by young armed forces' personnel.

Mark Francois: In the light of concerns expressed about the proportion of ex-military personnel in the criminal justice system, the King's Centre for Military Health Research carried out a study, which surveyed over 13,000 personnel, into violent offending among military personnel, the results of which were reported in The Lancet in March 2013.
	The study found that 11.0% of males within the service population had committed an offence of interpersonal violence, compared to 8.7% of the UK male civilian population. It is also noted that from those surveyed 20.6% of males within the service population under the age of 30 years committed violent offences compared to 6.7% of males under the age of 30 in the general population. The paper found that while deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan was not in itself a significant factor linked to violent offending, there was a correlation among personnel who had served in a combat role or who had developed post-deployment mental health problems such as alcohol misuse, anger and post-traumatic stress disorder. Other significant factors included pre-existing risk factors such as younger age and pre-military offences of a similar nature. The study's authors have recommended further evidence-based research into the potential utility of violence-reduction interventions among those returning from deployment in order to help detect mental health issues and thus reduce the risk of violent offending.
	Ministry of Defence policy makes it clear that the armed forces will not tolerate violence of this nature. Service personnel who experience violence and service family members who are victims of violence have a wide range of sources of help and information, and are actively encouraged to use them. These include single service welfare providers, unit welfare officers, families federations and help-lines.

Assets

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the most recent estimate is of the net book value of each major item of (a) single use military equipment, (b) transport equipment, (c) plant and machinery, (d) information technology and (e) land and buildings.

Philip Dunne: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Defence Estates

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the proportion in cash terms of the budget for defence estates and bases that is annually written off, which is not directly attributable to fraud, corruption or theft.

Mark Francois: Losses on the Ministry of Defence (MOD) estate over £250,000 are included (with others) in the MOD's Annual Accounts (Section 25) and can be found at:
	http://defenceintranet.diif.r.mil.uk/libraries/corporate/Ministry%20of%20Defence/20130121.1/2084_ MOD%20Annual%20Report%20and%20Accounts%202011-2012.pdf

Depleted Uranium

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 12 March 2013, Official Report, column 161W, on depleted uranium, how many locations with depleted uranium (DU) contaminations were surveyed as part of his Department's DU environmental monitoring programme in Iraq; what the nature was of the targets surveyed; and which of his Department's reports show that presence of DU is at levels too low to have any detectable health impact on civilians in Iraq.

Andrew Robathan: holding answer 25 March 2013
	More than 12 locations, combat equipment and the surrounding environment, were surveyed as part of the Department's assessment of DU in Iraq.
	The following reports cover a summary of the Iraq survey and risks more generally. The findings are consistent with scientific consensus that the presence of DU is at levels too low to have any detectable health impact:
	TA-6 Radiation Protection of the Public and the Environment, Radiological Assessment of Depleted Uranium Impact Locations in Iraq, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory Environmental Sciences Department, 2006
	Depleted Uranium Munitions Contamination Risks, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory Environmental Sciences Department and Institute of Naval Medicine, 2009
	Copies of these reports will be placed in the Library of the House.

Depleted Uranium

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the public will be informed in advance of CHARM3 test fires at the Dundrennan Range.

Philip Dunne: Advance notice of planned firings of any munitions at the Dundrennan range is routinely provided on a weekly basis to the local police, coastguard, harbourmaster, library, farmers and to members of the public who have requested such information.
	The only planned Challenger Armament 3 (CHARM3) firings in the next few years relate to the Life Extension Programme (LEP) for the propellant charge. A suitable trial site for the LEP has not yet been selected. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 4 March 2013, Official Report, column 846W, and reiterate that the planned CHARM3 LEP does not involve the firing of depleted uranium.

Freedom of Information

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to respond to Freedom of Information request MM/JH/20/12/2012 submitted by the hon. Member for Bridgend; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Francois: An investigation by officials found no record of the Freedom of Information request having been received within the Ministry of Defence.
	However, an FOI has now been received and I expect officials to provide a response within the statutory 20 working day time scale for responding, no later than 25 April 2013.

Gurkhas: Pensions

Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Gurkhas in the UK have had some of their pre-1997 service years deducted from their pension through the transfer of their pension benefits from the Gurkha Pension Scheme to the Armed Forces Pension Scheme; and what the average number of years service deducted is.

Mark Francois: The information requested is not centrally held within the Compensation and Pensions System and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

HMS Tireless

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 4 March 2013, Official Report, column 846W, on HMS Tireless, on what date Ministers in his Department were informed of problems with the nuclear reactor cooling system on HMS Tireless; whether the incident was categorised as an abnormal event with the potential to challenge a nuclear safety system; and whether any of the submarine's crew members were exposed to additional, unexpected doses of radiation as a result of the incident.

Philip Dunne: The very small coolant leak, which was wholly contained within HMS Tireless' sealed reactor compartment, was not categorised as an abnormal event with the potential to challenge a nuclear safety system because the operating philosophy, design and safety justification for the reactor plant allows for safe management in such cases.
	No members of the crew were exposed to additional or unexpected doses of radiation. As soon as the facts related to the incident had been established and assessed by the relevant Ministry of Defence authorities, Ministers were notified on 5 February 2013.

Information Officers

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many press officers there were in his Department in March (a) 2010 and (b) 2013.

Mark Francois: In March 2010 the total number of press office posts in the central Ministry of Defence press office organisation was 35. As of March 2013, the figure is 23. The current total is made up of the Head of News, 18 posts for press officers specialising in every aspect of Defence, a military officer for each of the armed forces and a press officer on deployment to Afghanistan. As the authorised channel of communication with the news media, the press office responds to enquiries from the national media and provides presentational advice to Ministers 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Military Law

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons Queen's Regulations are not available online; and if he will publish these online.

Mark Francois: The Queen's Regulations (QRs) for the Royal Navy are available online and can be found at the following website:
	http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/sitecore/content/home/news-and-events/reference-library/naval-publications
	QRs for the Army are not available on an open website. However, for those who can access the ArmyNet website they may be read online. The RAF QRs are not yet online but that is under consideration. All QRs are available for purchase through the Stationery Office online shop.

MOD Ashchurch

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with private companies operating at Ashchurch following his issuing a closure notice; and if he will make a statement.

Philip Dunne: Ministry of Defence officials (MOD) have regular meetings with the private companies which occupy space at Ministry of Defence Ashchurch. The private companies are being kept informed that the MOD continues to consider the future of the site.

MOD Ashchurch

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent estimate he has made of the number of (a) permanent and (b) agency staff employed at MOD Ashchurch, employed (i) directly by his Department and (ii) by other organisations.

Philip Dunne: In March 2013 there were 294 permanent Ministry of Defence (MOD) staff, including 126 military personnel and 78 agency staff employed at MOD Ashchurch. A further 45 personnel were employed by MOD contractors.
	A number of commercial companies lease office space at MOD Ashchurch and in March 2013 these companies employed a total of 244 personnel on site.

QinetiQ: Pensions

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 25 February 2013, Official Report, column 30W, on QinetiQ: pensions, whether he expects to be able to sign off the pension costs before the end of the financial year.

Philip Dunne: Discussions between the Ministry of Defence and QinetiQ on the proposed changes to pension arrangements are ongoing. It was not possible to resolve all the issues before the end of financial year 2012-13.

Radiation: Emergency Services

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list for each of (a) AWE Aldermaston, (b) AWE Burghfield, (c) RN Base Coulport, (d) RN bases at Faslane, Rosyth and Plymouth Devonport respectively and (e) Z-berths for emergency docking of nuclear powered submarines in the UK, which of the emergency service respondee organisations from the (i) fire brigade, (ii) police, (iii) ambulance service, (iv) local authorities and (v) contractors working for any of the emergency services operators have been pre-registered locally in respect of requirements under Regulation 14 of the Radiation (Emergency Preparedness and Public Information) Regulations 2001 to pre-train those personnel who would have to carry out their duties in a radioactive environment in the event of a radiological emergency at a licensed nuclear site; and what details of pre-registration emergency services are required to communicate to the Office for Nuclear Regulation.

Philip Dunne: The Radiation (Emergency Preparedness and Public Information) Regulations 2001 (REPPIR) require the preparation of emergency plans for sites where a radiation emergency could arise from working with ionising radiation. On-site emergency plans have been produced by site operators for all Defence nuclear licensed and authorised sites; off-site emergency plans are the responsibility of the relevant local authorities.
	Where any employee may, as a result of such emergencies, be exposed to radiation that exceeds normal dose limits, Regulation 14 of REPPIR requires the relevant employer to make certain provisions, including the provision of information, instruction and equipment.
	Relevant employers may include local emergency services, local authority personnel, or contractors operating on their behalf. The Ministry of Defence does not hold records of other relevant employers' compliance with Regulation 14 of REPPIR, which is a matter for the employers themselves and the Office for Nuclear Regulation.

Rescue Services: Helicopters

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the Ministry of Defence police investigation into the SAR helicopter contract bidding process begun in 2011 to be completed; and if he will make a statement.

Philip Dunne: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 10 April 2013.

Select Committee Oral Evidence

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether it is the practice of (a) the Minister concerned and (b) officials of his Department to check uncorrected transcripts for accuracy following ministerial appearances before parliamentary select committees.

Andrew Robathan: Yes, as was the case under previous Governments.

Ultra Electronics

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 13 March 2013, Official Report, column 789W, on Ultra Electronics, what the purpose is of each contract held between Ultra Electronics Holdings plc and his Department; and when each such contract will expire.

Philip Dunne: I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on 12 March 2013, Official Report, column 163W, and 21 March 2013, Official Report, column 789W, in which I stated that the Ministry of Defence (MOD) holds 44 contracts with the company, with a total value of around £493 million. Further investigation into these contracts has revealed that only 27 of them are, in fact, still open, with a total value of around £452 million.
	Shown in the following table is a list which includes those let by MOD trading funds, but does not include pan-Government enabling contracts, government procurement card payments or miscellaneous transactions.
	I am withholding the details of seven contracts as their disclosure would or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces,
	
		
			 Contract number Contract title (purpose) Current contract end date 
			 LSBU5/0045 Procurement of Warrior push switch 18 April 2013 
			 CSA/4006 Support contract for ships data distribution system, test equipment and ships data interface system 30 June 2013 
			 TDLC/00124 Provision of spares and repairs for Link 11 Datalink Process Systems 15 August 2013 
			 DS&TE/019/B Post design services, procurement, modifications, repair and calibration of fuel system test sets, kits and parts for Tornado, Harrier, Chinook and other aircraft platforms 30 September 2013 
			 FWS3E/0263 Repair/refurbish and provision of spares for Automatic Upper Air Sounding System 31 October 2013 
			 AVCOMMl/5862 Provision of repair of Sonar Location Beacons 1 October 2013 
			 SHORAD/0069 Distribution Unit (PDM2) Modification Kits for Radar Type 997 31 December 2013 
			 AVCOMM1/5871 Demand Order Supply of Electrical Spares 31 December 2013 
			 SMC42C/1026 Repair of 5G test equipment, test cables, module assemblies and 5CZ amplifiers 31 December 2013 
			 CSIS/00075 The Supply of Engineering Services and Systems 31 March 2014 
			 MRA4/00123 The Provision of a Sonobuoy Capability for Sonobuoys and Off Board Acoustic Sources 31 July 2014 
			 CBTSYST/10077 Contract for the repair of Ultra Electronics LRUS (Systems Optronics and Hull and Auto) 22 August 2014 
			 MES/20607 In service support of Astute Main Static Converters Emergency Propulsion Motor & Diesel Generator Local Control Panels 18 October 2015 
			 LXCOMM/0064 Sea Owl HIPPAG (High Pressure Pure Air Generators) Support (repairs and spares) 31 December 2015 
			 ADATS/297 Contractor Logistic Support for Audiosoft PC2000 & PC2016 Multi-Channel Voice Recorders and Reproducers 31 December 2015 
			 ISMCOM/70331 Weapon Interface Equipment Capability Sustainment/Support (including submarine weapon interconnector sub-systems) 31 December 2015 
			 ACCSCAD/01237 Contractor Logistic Support to the Air Defence Systems Integrator 31 July 2016 
			 UWS4C/0150 Mine Disposal System 30 September 2016 
			 SANSC1/04059 LITENING III Main Phase 30 September 2027 
			 IDSTLX 1000073537 Provision of spares in support of Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear Team Open until final invoices submitted (1)— 
			 (1) Open until final invoices submitted.

PRIME MINISTER

Domestic Visits

Pamela Nash: To ask the Prime Minister what the cost to the public purse of the PM Direct events has been in each of the last two years.

David Cameron: Since my appointment as Prime Minister I have held a series of public meetings which provide members of the public with an opportunity to raise local, regional or national issues with me directly. Each PM Direct event has been arranged in accordance with ministerial and civil service guidelines. Costs have been minimised as far as possible. The cost of any security provided by the police is a matter for the relevant police force. In 2011 there were eight PM Direct events at a cost of £22,913. In 2012 there were nine PM Direct events at a cost of £30,376.

WOMEN AND EQUALITIES

Equality Act 2010

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities for what reasons section 36 of the Equalities Act 2010 has not yet been enforced.

Helen Grant: On 15 May 2012, the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), announced, as the outcome of the Red Tape Challenge spotlight on equality law, a number of provisions which the Government intended to delay or repeal because of concerns regarding an unnecessary or disproportionate burden on business. As such, the Government has decided to delay the provisions at sections 36(1)(d), (5) and (6) and schedule 4, paragraphs 5-7, of the Equality Act 2010. Other provisions within section 36 of the Act, namely s.36 (1)(a)(b)(c), (2), (3), (4), (7) and (8) have been commenced.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

British Constitution

Peter Bone: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what new constitutional reforms he will bring forward in this Parliament.

Chloe Smith: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull East (Karl Turner) on 26 March 2013, Official Report, Column 1451 by my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister.

Higher Education: Admissions

Pamela Nash: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the effect on social mobility of changes in the (a) number of funded places available in universities in Scotland and (b) university applications made through UCAS since May 2010.

David Willetts: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	Higher education in Scotland is a devolved matter, and questions about funded places at Scottish universities are a matter for the Scottish Government.
	The latest data on the social background of applicants to full-time undergraduate courses in the UK were published by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) in January and are available at:
	http://www.ucas.com/about_us/media_enquiries/media_releases/2013/2013janapprates
	The figures show that, as at the main UCAS deadline of 15 January, the application rate of 18-year-olds from England living in disadvantaged areas reached a record high in 2013.

Members: Correspondence

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 13 February 2013 from the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne North, on reductions to local government funding and arts venues in Newcastle.

Nicholas Clegg: I replied to the hon. Member on 27 March 2013.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agricultural Wages Board

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cases of non-compliance with the Agricultural Wages Board have been (a) detected, (b) investigated, (c) prosecuted and (d) brought forward by the Gangmasters Licensing Authority in each of the last five years; and what the name was of the individuals and companies involved.

David Heath: The Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA) does not have powers to prosecute businesses that fail to pay their workers the correct agricultural minimum wage (AMW). However, failure to pay the correct rate of the AMW could result in the revocation of an existing licence or the refusal of a new licence application as it would be a breach of the GLA's Licensing Standards.
	GLA records, set out in the following table, indicate that there are 25 companies that have had their gangmaster licence revoked in the last five years where failure to comply with the Licensing Standard requiring compliance with AMW legislation was a factor in the licensing decision.
	A further four companies were refused a licence on grounds which included failure to comply with AMW legislation; however, the GLA does not publish details of businesses whose licence applications are refused. Although these businesses have been unable to demonstrate that they meet the GLA Licensing Standards, they are not active in the regulated sectors at the time they apply for a new licence. Therefore, the GLA does not consider it to be in the public interest to make this information available on their public registers.
	Businesses that are refused a licence or whose licence is revoked may reapply at a future date and will be issued with a GLA licence if they show they comply with the Licensing Standards.
	
		
			 Company Date licence revoked 
			 Muirfield Recruitment Ltd 9 August 2012 
			 L A Union Ltd 3 May 2012 
			 AS Rodgers (Kirton) Ltd 27 February 2012 
			 Star Work Force Ltd 1 December 2011 
			 J Mann Contractors Ltd 30 November 2011 
			 BM Recruitment Services (Midlands) Ltd 30 September 2011 
			 Rai n Dhanda Ltd 12 August 2011 
			 Lauras Gang 20 June 2011 
			 J P Services 8 April 2011 
			 R P Employment Agency Ltd 24 March 2011 
			 C.A. Moore 21 March 2011 
			 G L Labour 9 February2011 
			 Rania Farm Services Ltd 22 December 2010 
			 JR & JD Smith 5 November 2009 
			 A.S.A.P. (SW) Ltd 8 July 2009 
			 Saphire Trading Ltd 6 May 2009 
			 Infinity HR Ltd 17 November 2008 
			 Dial-A-Worker Ltd 22 October 2008 
			 Gateway Recruitment Services 14 August 2008 
			 Newtex Ltd 31 July 2008 
			 EMP Solutions Ltd 14 July 2008 
			 ASAP Recruitment (UK) Ltd 24 June 2008 
			 Timberland Homes Ltd 6 May 2008 
			 Tony Housley 24 April 2008 
			 Vilnius Recruitment Ltd 12 March 2008

Agriculture: Snow and Ice

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations he has received from farmers regarding the recent weather; what assessment he has made of the effect of the adverse weather on the rural economy and farm incomes; if he will take any emergency measures to assist farmers in 2013; and if he will make a statement.

David Heath: I have placed a copy of the latest assessment made of farm incomes, for the year ending February 2013, in the Library of the House.
	These forecasts are based on the information available in mid-January 2013 for prices, animal populations, marketings, crop areas and yield. Actual farm incomes for this period will be available at the end of October 2013.
	The forecasts show that incomes are expected to fall for most farm types compared with the previous year. This is largely due to the extremely wet weather in 2012 and the poor growing and grazing season. The falls in income are also more pronounced as incomes were relatively high in 2010-11. The impact of the more recent adverse weather on farm incomes will not be reflected in these figures but will come through in the 2013-14 farm income forecasts published next January.
	The continued bad weather in 2013 has been a severe blow. During these exceptional circumstances farmers will be allowed to bury or burn animals on farm land. We have also asked the National Fallen Stock Company to consider reduced costs for multiple collections of stock from the same farm.
	The Government has also recently relaxed rules on driver hours to allow extra time for essential deliveries of animal feed to get through to farms and permitted farmers with red diesel in their tractors to help grit and clear snow from public roads to help communities during the bad weather. More broadly we are supporting farmers by cutting unnecessary red tape, opening up new food export markets and fighting for reform of the common agricultural policy.

Agriculture: South West

Mel Stride: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many single farm payments were processed by the Rural Payments Agency in (a) Devon and (b) Cornwall in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and how many such payments were paid within (i) one month, (ii) one and three months, (iii) three and six months and (iv) more than six months of the payment due date.

David Heath: Payments for the single farm payment are payable from 1 December of the application year to the 30 June of the following year; there is no specific payment date.
	For the 2011 scheme year, the RPA processed just under 14,000 SPS claims for customers with a business address registered in Devon or Cornwall. The following table breaks down the payments by county.
	
		
			 Payment period Devon Cornwall 
			 One month (within December 2011) 8,080 4,330 
			 Less than three months (between January-February 2012) 840 270 
			 Three to six months (between March-May 2012) 285 110 
			 More than six months (in or after June 2012) 60 25 
		
	
	It should be noted that this information relates to the current registered business address and does not directly relate to land in Devon and Cornwall. The numbers in the table have been rounded to the nearest five.

Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency

Dai Havard: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which company holds the largest contract to provide mobile telephony services to the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency; how much was paid under that contract since it was awarded; how many individual devices are covered by the contract; when the contract was awarded; and when and by what means the contract will next be reviewed.

David Heath: Vodafone holds the largest contract to provide mobile telephony services to the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA). It started on 7 March 2011 and covers 1139 devices.
	AHVLA has spent the following since the contract began:
	
		
			  £ 
			 2011-12 125,141 
			 2012-13 (1)167,225 
			 (1) Latest data—up to and including 28 February 2013. 
		
	
	The current contract was put in place through the Government Procurement Service framework arrangement and expires on 30 March 2015. We would expect the same approach to be taken to procuring a replacement contract at that time.

Antibiotics

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to reduce the over-prescription of veterinary antibiotics.

David Heath: All veterinary medicinal products containing antibiotics in the UK are available only on prescription by a veterinary surgeon, who in turn is only permitted to prescribe to animals under their care. Supply of veterinary medicinal products without a prescription is illegal in the UK and is in breach of the Veterinary Medicines Regulations. Such offences are dealt with robustly, and when appropriate the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) will seek to take legal action through the courts.
	The Government takes the issue of antimicrobial resistance very seriously and the routine use of antibiotics to prevent disease is not regarded as a responsible use of these medicines. However, the Government recognises that the availability of veterinary medicines, including antibiotics, is essential to ensure the health and welfare of food-producing animals in the UK. It is down to the professional judgment of the veterinary surgeon whether an animal or a particular group of farmed animals requires treatment with an antibiotic.
	The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) regulates the veterinary profession, undertaking the statutory responsibilities set out in the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966. All veterinary surgeons are required to comply with the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct, which specifically states that veterinary surgeons must use antibiotics responsibly in order to minimise resistance development.
	The Government works closely with the veterinary profession and with the farming industry to promote the responsible use of antimicrobials in farmed animals. The Government has published a Code of Practice on the Responsible Use of Medicines on the Farm and a leaflet on antimicrobials, which are available from the Veterinary Medicines Directorate's website. The Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture (RUMA) Alliance has produced guidance on responsible use of antibiotics for different livestock sectors all of which can be found on the RUMA website also, the British Veterinary Association (BVA) and the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) have both published information to guide prescribing.
	Antibiotic use for growth promotion was banned in the EU in 2006. At one time very small doses of some antibiotics were allowed to be added prophylactically to animal feed because they improved the growth rates of some farm animals. With the emergence of concerns about antibiotic resistance in both human and veterinary medicines and, in particular, the impact of resistance on the ability to treat humans, this application of antibiotics was banned.
	The UK is working with other EU member states to ensure that antibiotics, including those considered critically important for human health, are used responsibly within European legislation. Accordingly the UK has been supporting the work of European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Veterinary Use (CVMP) on antibiotic resistance. In particular, we have contributed to the Europe wide adoption of Summaries of Product Characteristics, to include label warnings relating to resistance for existing fluoroquinolones and 3rd and 4th
	( )
	generation cephalosporin products used in veterinary medicine. We will continue to influence this debate on labelling and permitted uses as it progresses.
	The EU legislation on veterinary medicines is currently under revision and the UK along with other member states and the Commission are examining the available evidence to establish whether there is a need for additional controls on antibiotics used in animals, in particular those which are critically important for human health. However, the Government considers that any controls placed on the use of veterinary antimicrobials must be proportionate and based on scientific evidence in order to minimise the possibility of a negative impact on animal welfare.

Beef: Horse Meat

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what (a) steps he is taking to reassure consumers across the UK and (b) discussions he has had with Ministers in the devolved Administrations concerning the detection of horsemeat in the food chain.

David Heath: The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the right hon. Member for North Shropshire (Mr Paterson), is working closely with his counterparts across Europe to ensure that the current unacceptable situation with horsemeat cannot happen again. This includes a three-month programme of DNA testing of beef products across the EU covering domestic and imported products, the first results to be published on 15 April. Meat products across the EU will be DNA tested for horsemeat. In addition, both domestic and imported horsemeat will be tested for bute. The current paperwork-based system will be replaced by a programme of testing real products.
	Secondly, the Secretary of State agreed to a new intelligence system so that information about the current investigations can be shared immediately. This will enable other member states to act straight away if they have any suspicions that food businesses are not playing by the rules. Member states also agreed to use Europol to co-ordinate law enforcement efforts. Thirdly, because of the urgency with which we have to deal with what is clearly an international issue, we agreed that the European Commission’s report and recommendations on labelling the origin of all processed meat should be accelerated and published as soon as possible. The Secretary of State expects that this will provide consumers with clearer and more reliable information on where meat products come from. The Secretary of State made a statement to this effect on 13 February. He had a meeting with representatives from the devolved Administrations in advance of this meeting on 13 February and an update meeting with them on 15 February.
	Devolved Administrations were also invited to the meeting with industry representatives on 18 January. Richard Lochhead and Alun Davies were present with Alex Attwood available by teleconferencing.

Bees

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent steps he has taken to protect and encourage the UK's bee population.

David Heath: In 2009, DEFRA and the Welsh Government launched the Healthy Bees Plan which is aimed at improving and protecting the health of honey bees over the next 10 years. In addition, following a review of the current honey bee pest and disease control policies, DEFRA and the Welsh Government recently consulted stakeholders on the proposals emerging from the review. Nearly 200 responses were received and these are being considered to help inform development of future policy.
	In addition, DEFRA is providing £2.5 million over five years (from 2010-11) towards the £10 million Insect Pollinators Initiative which is being jointly funded with the Scottish Government, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, Natural Environment Research Council and the Wellcome Trust. Two projects will specifically focus on honey bees and six will benefit both honey bees and bumblebees. Results are expected to become available in 2014.
	DEFRA also provides £100,000 per year for honey bee research including work on control and risk management of honey bee pests and diseases.
	‘Biodiversity 2020’ committed to an increase in the overall extent of priority habitats by at least 200,000 hectares and to preventing further human-induced extinctions of known species. Further to this, Natural England, under its species recovery programme funds conservation projects to support priority species such as bumble bees. For example, the short haired bumble bee, extinct in the UK since the 1980s, is being reintroduced from Sweden.
	Funding is also available to encourage farmers to provide forage and nesting sites for bees. Entry Level Stewardship (ELS) provides payments for the establishment of nectar flower mixtures. These are intended to provide a large quantity of nectar from small areas to mimic the nectar-bearing crops that once featured in traditional agricultural systems and to limit the genetic impact on native wildflower species from the widespread sowing of commercial seed.
	Following a recent review of evidence from research, monitoring, and experience of scheme operation, several new ELS options were introduced from 1 January 2013. These include a supplement to add wildflowers to buffer strips and field corners, plus options for legume-rich and herb-rich swards to provide habitat and food for invertebrates including bees. Higher Level Stewardship also has a wide range of options which benefit bees. These include floristically enhanced grass margins and conservation headlands.

Birds of Prey

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress he has made on his Department's review of Predation by Fish-Eating Birds on Inland Fisheries; and if he will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: The DEFRA-led review group, which includes representatives from the angling community, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the Food and Environment Research Agency, the Environment Agency, Natural England and the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, is finalising its work and will report to me shortly. I will consider the group's recommendations fully before deciding on a way forward.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what criteria he will use to assess the effectiveness of the badger cull pilots;
	(2)  what threshold of effectiveness he has for the two pilot areas to determine whether his badger control programme should proceed beyond those pilots; and when he anticipates that the next cull areas will commence;
	(3)  what methods of culling other than shooting will be deployed in the two pilot badger cull areas.

David Heath: The effectiveness monitoring will test the assumption that controlled shooting is an effective method of badger removal, in terms of being able to remove at least 70% of the starting population in the area, over the course of a six week cull. A summary of the monitoring protocol can be found on the DEFRA website at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/animal-diseases/a-z/bovine-tb/badgers/badger-culling-pilots/
	A panel of independent experts will evaluate the results of the effectiveness monitoring and report to Ministers. Based on this report, together with the outcome of humaneness and safety monitoring, and other information on the culls, Ministers will then take a decision as soon as practicable on wider roll-out of the policy.
	The only two culling methods to be permitted are cage-trapping (followed by shooting) and controlled shooting. The number of badgers culled and the culling method used in each case will be recorded by the operators and be part of the licence returns to Natural England.

Circuses: Animal Welfare

Sheryll Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the licensing scheme for wild animals in circuses has cost to implement to date.

David Heath: The cost of administering the two licences issued to date, and carrying out associated inspections, have been recovered from the applicants through the licence fee.

Circuses: Animal Welfare

Sheryll Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reasons no licences have been issued under the licensing scheme for wild animals in circuses to date.

David Heath: Two licences were issued to circuses on 13 March 2013.

Circuses: Animal Welfare

Tom Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the Circus Mondao was granted a licence under the Welfare of Wild Animals in Travelling Circuses (England) Regulations 2012.

David Heath: Circus Mondao was issued with a licence on 13 March 2013. The licence is due to run for a period of 12 months, subject to the circus continuing to demonstrate that it meets the conditions for animal welfare set out in the regulations.

Common Agricultural Policy

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact on UK farmers of the proposed reforms of the common agricultural policy; and if he will make a statement.

David Heath: There is no final agreement on the future CAP within the EU. Agriculture Council has adopted a mandate to start negotiations with the European Parliament and the European Commission shortly. I hope we can reach early agreement with the European Parliament on CAP reform. The sooner we have clarity around the exact measures in the CAP regulations, the sooner we will be able to make a more detailed assessment on the impact of the proposed reforms on UK farmers.

Common Agricultural Policy

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how he expects common agricultural policy reforms to be implemented in England in particular as regards the balance between pillars; and if he will make a statement.

David Heath: There is no final agreement on the future CAP within the EU. Agriculture Council has adopted a mandate to start negotiations with the European Parliament and the European Commission shortly. I hope we can reach early agreement with the European Parliament on CAP reform. The sooner we have clarity around the exact measures in the CAP regulations the sooner we will be able to make more detailed decisions on CAP implementation in England.
	As for the level of funding in England for pillars 1 and 2, we do not have yet a confirmed allocation of UK CAP receipts, and until we do it is difficult to say what level of funding the UK will receive for delivering our environment and rural growth programmes. This includes any future decision as to the level of funds transferred from pillar 1 to pillar 2.

Common Agricultural Policy

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how the common agricultural policy reforms will apply to grazers on common land and to landlords.

David Heath: There is no final agreement on the future CAP within the EU. Agriculture Council has adopted a mandate to start negotiations with the European Parliament and the European Commission shortly. I hope we can reach early agreement with the European Parliament on CAP reform. Rules on land grazed in common are expected to be addressed in implementing regulations made by the European Commission later this year after the Council Regulations have been concluded. Discussions with industry and commoning stakeholders have taken place within the CAP reform and common land working group, and are expected to continue as the details of the legislation become clearer.

Common Agricultural Policy

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how the concept of active farms will be applied in England under common agricultural policy reforms; and if he will make a statement.

David Heath: There is no final agreement on the future CAP within the EU. Agriculture Council has adopted a mandate to start negotiations with the European Parliament and the European Commission shortly. I hope we can reach early agreement with the European Parliament on CAP reform. The sooner we have clarity around the exact measures in the CAP regulations the sooner we will be able to make more detailed decisions on how active farming is implemented in England.

Common Agricultural Policy

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he has made an assessment of the likely effect in the East of England agricultural sector of his proposals for the greening of the common agricultural policy; and if he will make a statement.

David Heath: There is no final agreement on the future CAP within the EU. Agriculture Council has adopted a mandate to start negotiations with the European Parliament and the European Commission shortly. I hope we can reach early agreement with the European Parliament on CAP reform. The sooner we have clarity around the greening measures in the CAP regulations, the sooner we will be able to make more detailed decisions on CAP implementation in England.

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations the Government made at the March 2013 meeting of the Convention on International Trade: Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna in Bangkok.

Richard Benyon: The UK delegation to the 16th conference of the parties of the convention on international trade in endangered species (CITES), which took place recently in Bangkok, actively engaged in all aspects of conference business. Representations ranged from promoting UK views during EU negotiations, to chairing the rhino working group and lobbying in support of proposals submitted by the EU, such as the inclusion of the porbeagle shark on appendix ii of the convention.

Dangerous Dogs

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 6 February 2013, Official Report, on tackling irresponsible dog ownership, 
	(1)  whether he plans to issue guidance on the costs of microchipping of dogs;
	(2)  whether he proposes that licensed veterinarians will insert microchips for dogs without charge;
	(3)  which animal welfare charities offer free microchipping at their facilities.

David Heath: I have no plans to issue guidance on the costs of microchipping dogs. The Dogs Trust are making free microchips available to local authorities, housing associations and veterinary surgeries. This will cover the cost of the microchip and registration of the dog and owner's details. Free microchipping will also be available at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home's three centres, all 16 Blue Cross hospitals in England and Dogs Trust centres. There may well be other organisations making such offers. Therefore, the cost of microchipping a dog should be very small particularly when compared to the lifetime cost of buying and caring for a dog.

Environment Protection

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will introduce decarbonisation targets.

Richard Benyon: Under the carbon budget system established by the Climate Change Act 2008, this Department is working to cut emissions from agriculture, land use, waste, industrial gases and other sectors. Details are set out in the Government's Carbon Plan, which is available to view on the GOV.UK website at:
	www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-carbon-plan-reducing-greenhouse-gas-emissions--2
	DEFRA has no plans to set decarbonisation targets in its sectors in addition to this work.

Floods: Insurance

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether his discussions with representatives of the insurance industry on flood insurance have included the issue of the work done by local authorities to mitigate flood risks; and what assessment he has made of whether such changes and subsequent reduced risks are being taken account of by insurance underwriters in assessing premiums for properties which historically have been at risk from flooding.

Richard Benyon: I can confirm that discussions were held with representatives of the insurance industry in 2012 on how they can take account of the work done by local authorities to mitigate flood risks, such as through the installation of measures to properties to reduce flood risk or its impact (referred to as property-level measures). Following these discussions, the Government has worked with the insurance industry and others, such as the National Flood Forum, to develop a Flood Risk Report template, which has been available since November 2012.
	The insurance industry recognise the Flood Risk Report as a standard approach for presenting the flood risk of a property, provided a professional, suitably qualified, independent surveyor has completed it. It can record the change in the level of risk for a property following the installation of measures. Insurers may take into account the information and flood protection measures when assessing the terms they will offer for continued or new cover. The Association of British Insurers has recently confirmed this approach when giving evidence to the EFRA Committee on flooding funding:
	“...where the insurer can be provided with evidence that supports the effectiveness of the measures that have been taken, they want to do the best job they can in assessing the risk that a property brings to them as insurers and they will fully take that into account. The mechanism in order to achieve that normally will be one that involves some sort of assessment by a professional of the property, the measures that have been taken and the effectiveness of those measures against the kind of risk that that property is exposed to.”
	In 2012, prior to the development of the National Flood Risk Report template, DEFRA commissioned a small survey to find out whether recently-installed property-level flood measures had helped to reduce insurance premiums or excesses. In the majority of cases it did not result in lower insurance premiums and excesses, nor increase customer choice of insurance cover, which will be useful to review this following the launch of the template. It is important to note that property-level measures do provide many people with increased peace of mind.

Food: Labelling

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with the EU Commissioner for Agriculture on food labelling and food provenance policy issues; and if he will make a statement.

David Heath: The Secretary of State has not discussed food labelling and food provenance issues with the EU Commissioner for Agriculture as Commissioner Borg, the EU Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy, is the most appropriate contact. The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the right hon. Member for North Shropshire (Mr Paterson) spoke with Commissioner Borg on 11 February and he attended the meeting with the UK and other affected member states on 13 February. At this meeting we reached agreement on a number of key issues in order to ensure that the current unacceptable situation with horsemeat cannot happen again. He made a statement detailing the outcome of that meeting on 13 February.

Foxes

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to tackle the problem of urban foxes in inner cities.

Richard Benyon: There is no evidence that the majority of urban foxes cause problems. The Government supports those experiencing problems with individual foxes by providing guidance on how to deal with them on the Natural England website.

Gamekeepers

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many people have started courses to become gamekeepers in England and Wales in the last five years; how many have completed a course; and how many such people have found jobs as gamekeepers on completion.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA does not hold this information. There is no requirement for gamekeepers, employers of gamekeepers or course providers to report to DEFRA on course participation/completion or employment figures.

Genetically Modified Organisms

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when his Department plans to publish the report of the independent systematic review of published material on the environmental and economic effects of GM crops, undertaken for the Department by SAC Commercial Ltd; and what the reason is for the time taken to publish that report.

David Heath: The review on economic effects has been published by the independent group that specialises in supporting the conduct of systematic reviews, Collaboration for Environmental Evidence (CEE). It is available on the CEE website at:
	http://www.environmentalevidence.org/SR11002.html
	The environmental review has been accepted for publication in the journal Food and Nutrition Sciences, and should appear within the next two months. These reports have taken longer than anticipated to complete because of a lengthy independent peer review process.

Horse Meat

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when Ministers were informed that Vestey Foods supplied Sodexo with horsemeat.

David Heath: Ministers were made aware of the discovery of horsemeat in Sodexo products on 22 February and that Sodexo was cooperating fully with the Food Standards Agency (FSA). The FSA was aware of the supply chain as part of its investigations into the incident. As with all live investigations it is important that we do not prejudice the process by disclosing information prematurely. Ministers were notified that the source of the adulterated meat was Vestey Foods on 14 March.

Horse Passports

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) police forces and (b) local authorities applied to his Department to access data held in horse passport issuing organisation databases in (A) 2010, (B) 2011, (C) 2012 and (D) 2013 to date.

David Heath: The Department does not hold any records of personal data information requests prior to October 2012.
	Details of personal data information requests from October 2012 to 14 March 2013 are recorded as follows:
	
		
			  Local authorities UK police forces Non-UK police forces 
			 2012 8 0 (1)1 
			 2013 15 2 0 
			 (1) Garda

Japanese Knotweed

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent steps he has taken to prevent the spread of invasive Japanese knotweed.

Richard Benyon: A controlled release of the highly specialist psyllid “Aphalara itadori” is currently under way to help control Japanese knotweed. If successful, this should restrict its growth, slow its capacity to spread vigorously and enhance the effectiveness of management effort.
	Because of its invasive nature, Japanese knotweed is listed on schedule 9 and subject to section 14 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, making it an offence to plant, or cause this species to grow, in the wild.
	Under cross compliance rules, farmers in receipt of the single farm payment are required to take reasonable steps to prevent its spread.
	Japanese knotweed is regarded as controlled waste and as such its disposal is governed by waste disposal regulations.

Livestock: Transport

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he plans to publish the results of his inquiry into the death of livestock at the port of Ramsgate in September 2012.

David Heath: I received the report by the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency on their internal review of procedures following the regrettable events on 12 September at Ramsgate in October 2012. At the request of Kent Trading Standards, the prosecuting authority, the report was withheld until any possibility of prejudicing their criminal investigation and any subsequent criminal proceedings had passed. I placed the report in the House of Commons Library on Monday 4 March 2013.

Marine Conservation Zones

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what role the precautionary principle has played in the decisions on the first round of marine conservation zone designations.

Richard Benyon: In identifying Marine Conservation Zones to propose for designation in 2013, we sought to strike a balance by being sufficiently sure of a feature's presence, extent and condition, while not setting unreasonable data requirements given current (and likely future) data availability on seabed characteristics. An exception has been made for specific features in sites identified by the Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies as being at higher risk. In these circumstances, in accordance with the precautionary principle, we are proposing designation of the relevant features even when the data quality would not otherwise be considered sufficient.

Marine Conservation Zones

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will request the Natural Capital Committee to make an assessment of the socio-economic benefits of current and future marine conservation zones.

Richard Benyon: The Impact Assessment accompanying the consultation on the designation of Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) that launched in December 2012, provides an overview of potential increases in ecosystem services and consequent increases in human welfare, which could be attributed to designation of MCZs. These benefits cannot be readily quantified as the majority are not traded. Further work is taking place to advance the evidence base, including DEFRA-commissioned projects on recreational benefits from MCZs and studies on benthic habitats.
	The Natural Capital Committee (NCC) terms of reference are aimed at ensuring it focuses on embedding natural capital into decision-making at the strategic level. There are currently no plans to request the NCC to make an assessment of the socio-economic benefits of MCZs.

Marine Conservation Zones

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reasons he has excluded evidence more than 12 years old from the process of designating marine conservation zones.

Richard Benyon: Evidence more than 12 years old has not been excluded from the designation process for Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs).
	Natural England and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee took account of the age of the evidence when providing an assessment of the scientific confidence in the presence and extent of recommended species and habitats. Where the supporting evidence was more than 12 years old a lower confidence was assigned to the presence and extent of recommended species and habitats. The assessments of scientific confidence contributed to deciding which sites were suitable for designation in the first tranche of MCZs.

Marine Protected Areas

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the potential benefit to the UK economy of an ecologically coherent network of marine protected areas in UK waters.

Richard Benyon: The impact assessment accompanying the consultation on the designation of marine conservation zones launched in December 2012 provides an overview of potential increases in ecosystem services, described in National Ecosystem Assessment 2011, which can be viewed at:
	http://uknea.unep-wcmc.org/Resources/tabid/82/Default.aspx
	and which could be attributed to designation of MCZs. The improvement in these ecosystem services will increase human welfare by providing benefits to fish populations, key regulating services, nature-based recreational activities and various other cultural benefits, including an increase in satisfaction from knowing that rare and threatened marine habitats and features are being conserved for current and future generations.
	These benefits cannot be readily quantified and the majority are not traded so cannot be easily valued. Further work is taking place to advance the evidence base, including a DEFRA commissioned project on the benefits of benthic habitats as well as National Ecosystem Assessment Follow-on work.

Meat Products

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of current rules on import and export of mechanically-separated meat in the EU.

David Heath: There are no specific rules in relation to the import and export of mechanically separated meat. Mechanically separated meat which has been produced in accordance with EU Regulation (EC) No. 853/2004 may be exported to other member states. It is the responsibility of the exporting member state to conduct the checks on animal and public health and food hygiene. As the UK exports mechanically separated meat it conducts the necessary checks for compliance. The UK does not routinely detain imports from within the single market.

Meat: Contamination

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussion he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on contaminated meat.

David Heath: The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the right hon. Member for North Shropshire (Mr Paterson), has had regular catch-up meetings with representatives from the devolved Administrations since 16 January to discuss the specific issue of horse and pig DNA found in meat products.
	I had a telephone meeting with members of the devolved Administrations on 13 February, which the Secretary of State followed up on 15 February.
	Representatives of the devolved Administrations were also present at the Agricultural Council on 25 February.
	DEFRA and the Food Standards Agencies in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland meet regularly to discuss issues related to food labelling and provenance, to exchange information and to co-ordinate our work on common areas of interest. DEFRA, the FSA and devolved Administrations have had senior level contact since 16 January.

Members: Correspondence

Tom Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State plans to reply to the letter of 1 March 2012 from the hon. Member for Glasgow South on the refusal of the Marine Management Organisation to issue a list of the private owners of fixed quota allocations made to the UK.

Richard Benyon: The response to your letter of 1 March 2013 was signed and sent on 25 March 2013.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he intends to reply to the letter dated 18 February 2013 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr Camilo.

Richard Benyon: The Under-Secretary of State, my noble Friend Lord de Mauley, replied to this letter on 29 March 2013.

National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will discuss with the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations the publication of a full list of its member vessels.

Richard Benyon: I, and my officials, regularly hold meetings with the National Federation of Fishermen's organisations to discuss various issues. I have always encouraged all representative organisations who lobby me to be fully transparent with regard to whom they represent and will continue to do so.

Natural England

Mark Reckless: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what public funding from the public purse has been made available to Natural England in each year since 2006.

Richard Benyon: The table shows the funding provided by the Department to Natural England in each financial year since 2006. The table shows the allocations of core Grant in Aid (GIA) and additional specific project funding. It also provides other public funding, consisting of contributions to projects from the Department of Health to the Walking for Health initiative; a contribution from the West Midlands Regional Development Agency to the Natural Assets project, and the Single Farm Payment for Natural England's land holding.
	The 2010 spending review settlement resulted in funding cuts of £44 million across the four year period to 2015.
	
		
			 £ million 
			  2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 
			 Total GIA 223.1 229.0 216.1 214.2 213.4 189.2 176.6 164.6 
			 Other ring-fenced Government funding 16.0 16.3 18.5 17.7 8.7 18.4 14.4 19.7 
			 Total DEFRA funding 239.1 245.3 234.6 231.9 221.1 207.6 191.0 184.3 
			 Other public funding 0.0 0.0 0.8 1.4 2.9 2.1 0.9 0.8 
			 Total 239.1 245.3 235.4 233.3 225.0 209.7 191.9 185.1

Nature Conservation

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when his review of the invasive non-native species framework strategy will take place.

Richard Benyon: We anticipate progressing the review of the invasive non-native species (INNS) framework strategy for Great Britain in autumn this year, in line with governmental commitments to review the 2008 strategy after five years. This will enable all parties concerned to consider and take into account imminently expected proposals for an EU INNS legislative instrument.

Nature Conservation

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if the Government will take steps to promote the harmonisation of legislation across the UK relating to invasive non-native species.

Richard Benyon: At present invasive non-native species are considered jointly by England, Wales and Scotland under a GB Strategy, which is due to be reviewed later this year. Proposals for an EU Directive on the subject are also expected imminently. Prior to consideration of those two processes it would be premature to take any view on the degree to which legislative measures could or should be harmonised.
	However, it should be noted that the devolution settlements gave the different parts of Britain control over certain matters to enable them to put in place separate legislation which reflects local needs and circumstances.

Pesticides

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what advice he received that informed his decision to oppose the European Commission's proposed suspension of neonicotinoid pesticides.

David Heath: The European Commission has proposed very significant restrictions on three neonicotinoid active substances (clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam). Following careful consideration and guided by advice from the independent Advisory Committee on Pesticides, the Government abstained in a vote on this proposal.
	The Government did not take this step because we had closed our mind to taking action. We abstained because the Commission's proposal was not well thought through. It is particularly important to respond to risks in a considered, evidence-based and proportionate manner and the Commission has not approached the issue in this way. We have urged the Commission to complete the scientific assessment, which should include the latest UK research. We also urge the Commission to consider the impacts of its action, which may have unintended or even damaging consequences. We will continue to make this case in Europe.

Pesticides

Geoffrey Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the environmental effect of pest control alternatives to neonicotinoids.

David Heath: We have carried out work to help us to understand better the likely consequences of possible regulatory options, including the implications of alternative pesticides or pest control measures being used.
	Farmers would respond to the loss of neonicotinoids by using the available alternative insecticides, which include pyrethroids, organophosphates and carbamates. All of these products have been authorised and so can be used without breaching the requirements for protection of human health and the environment set out in the pesticides legislation. However, each product will have its own potential for effects on the environment.

Phytophthora Ramorum

Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact of Phytophthora ramorum on UK forests; and if he will make a statement.

David Heath: An assessment was carried out in 2011 of the likely impacts of Phytophthora ramorum on the economy. The assessment indicated that some reduction in timber revenue can be expected due to the reduced value of infected timber. However, increased felling activity would compensate for this in the short term. No significant impacts on visitor spending were anticipated while other sites, which remained free from infection, were open to visit. The principal impacts, in the longer term, were assessed as being on carbon sequestration and biodiversity, and the wider social and environmental value of larch for visitor enjoyment and amenity.

Procurement

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the monetary value was of contracts awarded by his Department to (a) management consultancies and (b) IT companies in (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: The total value of contracts awarded by core DEFRA to management consultancies and IT companies for 2010-11 and 2011 -12 is set out as follows:
	
		
			 Management consultancies 
			  £ 
			 2010-11 2,147,953.34 
			 2011-12 1,457,563.68 
		
	
	
		
			 Information technology companies 
			  £ 
			 2010-11 55,178.58 
			 2011-12 591,707.89 
		
	
	For the purposes of this answer we have used the Cabinet Office definition of consultancy, which is
	"the provision to the management of objective advice relating to strategy, structure, management or operation of an organisation, in pursuit of its purposes and objectives".

River Wharfe

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what timescale has been set by Natural England for the River Wharfe Restoration Project.

Richard Benyon: The River Wharfe Restoration Plan gives a number of management options that address the current unfavourable condition of the River Wharfe Site of Special Scientific Interest. A period of initial local consultation on these options has just closed and the Environment Agency, the flood risk authority for rivers, has recently also been consulted to ensure that any options that are considered will not increase flood risk from the river to people and property.
	The consultation and further work on technical feasibility and cost will determine the options that will go forward to a final scoping phase. These are broadly categorised in terms of short, medium and long term solutions: the latter being up to 50 years. All those options that are selected for further scoping will be discussed with local landowners and occupiers before any site-specific implementation occurs.

River Wharfe

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimated cost has been made by Natural England of the (a) feasibility study and (b) delivery cost to the River Wharfe Restoration Project.

Richard Benyon: The allocated budget for the production of the draft river restoration plan was £48,000 covering approximately 7.1 kilometres of the River Wharfe Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a further three kilometres of river, impacting on the status of this SSSI both upstream and downstream of the site. The work included: the production of habitat and river gravel surveys, identification of options and alternatives to improve the condition of the SSSI, the preparation of the draft plan and the arrangements for local meetings and consultation.
	The combination of options that best address the unfavourable condition of this SSSI will be categorised in terms of short, medium and long term solutions: the latter being up to 50 years. The short term ones are likely to have modest costs. Potential longer term solutions will probably require additional and specific capital investment.
	Sources of funding for implementation have not yet been agreed and will depend on the scale and timeframe of the actions required and who is best placed to deliver them in terms of the private, public or voluntary sector. As an example: some potential sources of funding could include Agri-environment schemes or the Environment Agency's Flood and Coastal Risk Management capital and maintenance budget. Some activities may also be linked to sources of community based funding, including bids to funds such as the Heritage Lottery Fund, for specific complementary volunteering projects within the plan area.

Sharks

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to protect the native basking shark population.

Richard Benyon: The basking shark is fully protected in UK waters. Under schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981), which applies out to 12 nautical miles offshore, the basking shark is protected from intentional capture, retention or disturbance. In addition European fisheries legislation prohibits EU vessels from fishing for or retaining basking sharks in EU and non-EU waters.
	Basking sharks also benefit from international protection under the convention on international trade in endangered species (CITES) and the convention on migratory species (CMS).

Sites of Special Scientific Interest

Mark Reckless: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many areas Natural England has determined to be sites of special scientific interest in each year since 2006.

Richard Benyon: Natural England has a duty under section 28 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) to notify as a site of special scientific interest (SSSI) any land which in its opinion is of special interest by reason of its flora, fauna, geological or physiographical features. Natural England also has powers under sections 28A to 28D to modify existing SSSIs, by varying the matters specified in the notification or by extending the boundary (or both), as well as the power to remove all or part of an SSSI notification.
	In 2009 the Public Accounts Committee [34th report, HC244] said that:
	"To make sure that public investment in SSSIs is directed to those sites and locations which offer the best value for money in conservation and cost terms, Natural England should establish a systematic approach to reviewing the designation of existing sites and to identifying and designating new sites."
	Since 2006, Natural England (and English Nature, its predecessor in respect of these duties and powers up to 30 September 2006) has notified a total of 21 new SSSIs, 18 amendments to existing SSSIs (including extensions, removing land from boundaries and varying the matters specified in the notification), and has wholly removed the notification from five SSSIs. The following table presents these, grouped by type of notification, for each year from 1 January 2006 to 2 April 2013.
	
		
			  New SSSIs Amendments to existing SSSIs Removal of entire SSSIs Total 
			   Extensions Variation of matters specified in notifications Removal of land from boundaries   
			 2006 2 1 0 3 0 6 
			 2007 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 2008 1 1 1 0 0 3 
			 2009 1 0 0 0 0 1 
			 2010 3 4 1 3 4 15 
			 2011 7 1 0 0 0 8 
			 2012 6 2 0 0 1 9 
			 2013 1 1 0 0 0 2 
			 Total 21 10 2 6 5 44

Sugar

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much sugar of each type was produced in each year since 1990.

David Heath: The following table shows the total UK sugar production (on a refined basis) from sugar beet (in thousand tonnes) each year since 1990. We do not have information on the production of sugar from imported sugar cane.
	
		
			  Total sugar production (refined basis) 
			 1990 1,241 
			 1991 1,220 
			 1992 1,476 
			 1993 1,436 
			 1994 1,262 
			 1995 1,220 
			 1996 1,477 
			 1997 1,592 
			 1998 1,439 
			 1999 1,548 
			 2000 1,325 
			 2001 1,222 
			 2002 1,430 
			 2003 1,368 
			 2004 1,390 
			 2005 1,341 
			 2006 1,157 
			 2007 1,049 
			 2008 1,192 
			 2009 1,280 
			 2010 995 
			 2011 1,315 
			 Note: 2012 figures are not yet available. Source: Agriculture in the United Kingdom. http://www.defra.gov.uk/statistics/foodfarm/cross-cutting/auk/

Travel and Subsistence Payments

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  how many chairs in his Department's arm's-length bodies are paid on the basis that they are exempt from personally meeting any tax liability in respect of travel and subsistence payments for attending meetings at the offices of the arm's-length body;
	(2)  how many senior officials of his Department's arm's-length bodies are paid on the basis that they are exempt from personally meeting any tax liability in respect of travel and subsistence payments for attending meetings at the offices of the arm's-length body.

Richard Benyon: A total of two chairs and no senior officials from across the Department's arm's length bodies receive a tax benefit in relation to payments made for travelling to and from registered workplaces. These costs are equivalent to the amount actually spent on travel and subsistence.

Trees: Diseases

Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which tree diseases have been found in UK forests in the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

David Heath: In the past few years, a number of new tree and plant pests and pathogens have emerged as significant risks in the UK. In the last five years the new diseases that have been detected in forests are:
	Phytopthora ramorum, which, following earlier findings in rhododendron and in some tree species, was first detected on Japanese larch in 2009 in South West England, and is now present up the west side of Great Britain.
	Phytophthora lateralis was found for the first time in Great Britain in 2010 at Balloch Castle Country Park in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland. Outbreaks of infection have been confirmed in Lawson cypress trees (Chamaecypahs lawsoniana) in south west England, Yorkshire, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
	Chalara fraxinea was first detected in October 2012 in mature trees in Norfolk and Suffolk. It has now also been found in Kent, Yorkshire and Scotland.
	There are also a number of other endemic diseases, such as Dothistroma needle blight, which are continuing to expand their range and the tree species they affect.
	To address these threats, DEFRA, Fera and the Forestry Commission working with the devolved Administrations launched the Tree Health and Plant Biosecurity Action Plan in October 2011. The action plan sets out an integrated UK-wide approach to dealing with serious tree pests and diseases. The Tree Health and Plant Biosecurity Expert Taskforce was set up in November 2012 to address the Independent Panel on Forestry's recommendation to speed up delivery of the Tree Health and Plant Biosecurity Action Plan by additional investment in research on tree and woodland diseases, resilience and biosecurity controls.

UN Convention on Biological Diversity

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress the UK has made towards the commitments it made at the Convention on Biodiversity Conference of the Parties in Nagoya on ecosystems mapping and accounting.

Richard Benyon: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 26 March 2013, Official Report, column 1054W.

Water Supply

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment his Department has made on the viability of a national water supply grid;
	(2)  what assessment his Department has made of the potential use of renewable energy supplies to power a national water grid.

Richard Benyon: The Water White Paper set out the challenge of ensuring resilient and sustainable water resources in the face of increasing pressure from climate change and population growth. We need to use existing water resources more efficiently, develop new sources, and build connectivity across the network.
	All water companies have statutory Water Resources Management Plans, which look ahead at least 25 years and must include an assessment of the greenhouse gas emissions for each supply option. Water companies are already joining up sources of supply to build resilience and are strongly encouraged to consider options for interconnections in their Water Resources Management Plans, alongside other options such as demand management. Water companies are currently preparing plans for public consultation in the spring of 2013.
	There has been no assessment of the potential use of renewable energy supplies to power a national water grid. The large scale infrastructure investment needed for a national water grid is expensive, and water is also heavy, difficult and costly to move. Relatively local connections are likely to be the best options, incrementally building a wider and more integrated network.

Water: Peat Bogs

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the cost of treating particulate and dissolved organic carbon in water supply systems arising from peat-dominated catchments.

Richard Benyon: The cost of treating particulate and dissolved organic carbon in water supply systems is a matter for water companies.
	Removal of colour from water, which may be caused by dissolved organic carbon, represents one of the major operational costs of any treatment plant and can run into millions of pounds per annum. United Utilities is restoring approximately 6,000 hectares of peatland as part of their Sustainable Catchment Management Programme (SCaMP). United Utilities anticipates saving between £1.2 million and £2.4 million per year in avoided water treatment costs.

Water: Peat Bogs

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the potential for wind farm construction on areas of peatland to cause an increase in particulate and dissolved organic carbon within the waters of peat-dominated catchments.

Richard Benyon: Planning authorities must ensure that wind turbines are sited carefully to take into account various environmental issues, including impacts on water quality. There needs to be particular consideration to the environmental impact of siting wind turbines on peatlands.
	There may be potential for wind farm construction on areas of peatland to cause an increase in particulate and dissolved organic carbon within the waters of peat-dominated catchments and, where this has been identified as an issue, this would need to be considered alongside other environmental impacts before approving construction.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Developing Countries: Armed Conflict

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what engagement her Department has with the Ministry of Defence and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in determining which countries are considered to be fragile and conflict affected.

Alan Duncan: The decision to classify a particular country as fragile and conflict affected is made using three publicly available indices as laid out in my previous answer (150545). The process of identification helps us implement the National Security Strategy task of tackling the root causes of instability as well as focus effort in the implementation of the 2010 cross-government strategic defence and security review. Although not directly involved in determining the classification of states, MOD and the FCO are involved in addressing their needs through the Building Stability Overseas Strategy.

Developing Countries: Armed Conflict

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what method her Department uses to designate countries as (a) fragile and (b) conflict affected.

Alan Duncan: DFID identifies countries as fragile or conflict-affected by assessing a wide range of political, social, economic and security factors. It draws on data from three publicly available indices, the World Bank's Country Policy and Institutional Assessment (CPIA), the Failed States Index and the Uppsala list of countries recently affected by conflict.

Developing Countries: HIV Infection

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions she has had with the Clinton Health Access Initiative, Médicins Sans Frontières and UNICEF regarding their roll-out of new technologies to quickly and accurately diagnose and monitor HIV.

Lynne Featherstone: The UK Government recognises the potential of such new technologies but the Secretary of State has had no direct discussions with the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), Médicins Sans Frontières (MSF) and UNICEF on the issue of roll-out of new diagnostics for HIV.
	However, UNITAID, the International Drug Purchase Facility, has grants with CHAI, MSF and UNICEF to accelerate the roll-out of HIV diagnostic technologies and to test their use in specific resource-poor settings, such as rural and remote areas. The UK Government is a contributor to UNITAID and supported these grants at the UNITAID Board. Additionally, we directly fund CHAI to undertake some complementary work on new HIV diagnostics within our programme to strengthen markets for priority health commodities. Further support to the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria and our bilateral HIV programmes also involve some support for diagnostics roll-out.

Developing Countries: HIV Infection

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department has taken to reduce the number of instances of mother-to-child transmissions of HIV.

Lynne Featherstone: The UK Government is wholly committed to the international target to eliminate new HIV infections among children and substantially reduce AIDS-related maternal deaths by 2015. We support a comprehensive approach to the prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV, as recommended by the World Health Organisation. In sub-Saharan Africa through prevention of HIV, and prevention of unintended pregnancies, we will help to prevent 500,000 new HIV infections among women, for example by promoting correct and consistent use of male and female condoms which reduces risk of HIV infection by 95%.
	The UK Government will also continue to support efforts to increase access to affordable medicines, including anti-retroviral drugs and diagnostics, with a focus on pregnant women and new-borns. Our support to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, will give 37,000 HIV-positive women treatment to prevent HIV transmission to their babies.

Developing Countries: Nutrition

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of her Department's budget for nutrition was spent on nutritional direct interventions in the latest period for which figures are available.

Justine Greening: Under the coalition Government, UK annual spend on nutrition has almost doubled from £19.3 million in 2009-10 to £37.5 million in 2011-12. DFID's plans for future expenditure will reflect the fact that nutrition is a continuing priority.
	This spend is coded to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Development Committee Basic Nutrition Input Sector Code. This does not capture the significant additional UK spend on nutrition-sensitive programmes, humanitarian response programmes, or nutrition research. We are working with other donors to agree an improved method for tracking all nutrition spend.

Developing Countries: Nutrition

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate she has made of the number of children who will have been reached by its nutritional programmes by 2015.

Justine Greening: Between 2011 and 2015 the coalition Government has committed to reach 20 million children under five and pregnant women in developing countries with nutrition interventions.

Developing Countries: Nutrition

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans her Department has for further expenditure on child nutrition programmes.

Justine Greening: Under the coalition Government, UK annual spend on nutrition has almost doubled from £19.3 million in 2009-10 to £37.5 million in 2011-12. DFID's plans for future expenditure will reflect the fact that nutrition is a continuing priority, including a G8 related event 'Nutrition for Growth' on 8 June.

Developing Countries: Sanitation

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development with reference to the announcement that was made at the Sanitation and Water for All High Level Meeting in Washington in April 2012 that her Department would double its reach on water and sanitation to 60 million people, what steps have been taken to date; and how progress towards this target will be measured.

Lynne Featherstone: DFID aims to meet our commitments on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) through a range of programmes delivered by our country offices and from central teams. We will announce detailed plans once these have been finalised. Details of our current WASH programmes are available on the DFID website.
	Progress which has been made through our ongoing WASH programmes is detailed in the “DFID Annual Report and Accounts 2011-12”. Results from the implementation of more recent commitments will be detailed in the next Annual Report, due in June 2013.

Developing Countries: Sanitation

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development with reference to the announcement that was made at the Sanitation and Water for All High Level Meeting in Washington in April 2012 that her Department will double its reach on water and sanitation to 60 million people, when the Results Challenge Fund will be launched.

Lynne Featherstone: DFID is currently considering a number of new programme options to ensure we meet our water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) targets; these include a challenge fund type mechanism.
	All programmatic options are required to undergo a stringent internal quality assurance process to ensure they meet our requirements on issues such as value for money and fiduciary risk management. Once approved, details of all live programmes are available on the DFID website.

Developing Countries: Sanitation

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what was agreed at the meeting of the EU Water Experts Group in January 2013 to improve water and sanitation programmes.

Lynne Featherstone: The meeting of the EU Water Experts' Group provided the opportunity for members to express their concern about the apparent weakening of EU support to the water sector. Members referred to the 'unfinished business' of the millennium development goals, and the need to reinforce efforts towards universal access to water and sanitation. It was noted that some countries, in response to the EU policy framework—the 'Agenda for Change' have been developing more concentrated thematic programmes and regional focus, responding to developing country priorities and the new focus on the 'growth' agenda.
	The group considered the potential for an EU trust fund for improvement of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), acknowledging that the EU water facility with adjustments (in line with the recent 'auditors' report) could be considered as a useful EU members' vehicle for ongoing support for improved WASH. Some participants raised the issue of reinforcing the position of water in the current review of the Joint Africa-EU strategy, and indicated that they have the intention to support this point when it is discussed in Council.

Developing Countries: Sanitation

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make water and sanitation a UK priority for EU development programming for the next funding period up to 2020; and if she will make a statement.

Lynne Featherstone: DFID country offices are engaged with EU delegations as part of the EU programming process. We believe that decisions on priorities are best taken in each country based on local conditions and environment. Where water and sanitation is identified as a country priority we would encourage the EU delegation to respond accordingly. DFID is represented on the EU Water Experts’ Group and we use this to encourage the EU to ensure that water and sanitation programmes are delivered in ways that maximise value for money.

Developing Countries: Sanitation

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations she has made to her European counterparts on encouraging the EU to join the Sanitation and Water for All Partnership; and if she will make a statement.

Lynne Featherstone: Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) is an initiative based on partnership principles and DFID encourages all stakeholders to consider their engagement We encourage European partners to join SWA, and the Netherlands, Germany and France for instance are all active members. We are not actively making specific representations to other EU countries to join SWA. This is because it is important that the SWA partners are committed to its objectives and who join because they recognise the value and benefit of the SWA. We consider lobbying countries beyond ensuring they are aware of the SWA and its objectives, to undermine this fundamental principle of ownership and engagement.
	The International Water and Sanitation centre recently completed a useful analysis of the potential synergies between the European Water Initiative (EUWI) and SWA. The report recommends that
	“Strengthened cooperation is centred around “WASH and Africa”; with key stakeholders being the EUWI, the Africa Working Group (AWG), AMCOW (including AU/African Union) and SWA”.
	DFID is an active member of the EUWI African Working Group which will discuss how to take the report recommendations forward at the next meeting.

Disclosure of Information

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many civil servants in her Department have been subject to non-disclosure agreements in each year since 2010.

Alan Duncan: As a standard practice, in the years 2010 and 2011 DFID made it its default policy to arrange for compromise agreements to be put in place for those staff who by agreement, left the organisation under standard compensation terms as allowed for under the civil service compensation scheme. These agreements included a confidentiality, or 'non-disclosure', clause as a matter of course.
	From 2010 the following number of departures from DFID had been covered by compromise agreements which include a 'non-disclosure' clause:
	
		
			  Number 
			 2010 11 
			 2011 7 
			 2012 (1)— 
			 2013 to date (1)— 
			 (1) Fewer than 5.

Mali

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department in taking to increase access to food and drinking water for refugees in the northeast of Mali.

Lynne Featherstone: The UK is currently providing support totalling £7.6 million to the 2013 International Committee of the Red Cross Mali/Niger appeal. This aid will provide conflict-affected people in northern Mali with sufficient clean water to meet their domestic and livestock needs, as well as providing food assistance to displaced people in north-eastern Mali.
	The UK is also providing support totalling £4.5 million to the World Food Programme's emergency operation, in Mali, which aims to provide food to internally displaced and conflict-affected people in parts of north-western Mali.
	We will continue to monitor the situation closely to ensure that needs are being met as effectively and efficiently as possible by the international community.

Mali

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department is taking to support refugee host communities in Burkina Faso, Nigeria and Mauritania following the influx of Malian refugees to those areas.

Lynne Featherstone: According to the United Nations, over 475,000 people have been displaced by the conflict in Mali, of which over 292,000 have been internally displaced within Mali's borders, and over 183,000 into neighbouring countries including Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Niger.
	So far this year, Britain has contributed £5 million to provide a comprehensive package of support, including food, healthcare, protection, education and non-food items, to over 135,000 refugees in Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Niger through the UN's Refugee Agency, UNHCR, and the World Food Programme. This support is also providing assistance to host communities in these countries.
	Our assistance, both in refugee camps and in the wider community, will help take the pressure off already overstretched communities in these countries.

Overseas Aid

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department plans to take regarding aid to countries which restrict religious beliefs and practice.

Lynne Featherstone: In July 2011, DFID announced tougher rules about when to provide aid directly to countries' governments; this involves assessing their shared commitment to respecting human rights, including freedom of religion and belief.
	Where we have specific concerns about a government's failure to protect its citizens rights, for example those of minority faith groups, we raise these at the highest levels of the government concerned. We may judge that specific human rights concerns are sufficiently serious to merit a suspension of our aid to that government.

South Africa

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the total level of aid from her Department to South Africa is.

Lynne Featherstone: The total allocation of aid from DFID to South Africa in FY 2012-13 is £19 million.

South Africa

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how UK aid to South Africa is spent, by category of programme and expenditure.

Lynne Featherstone: UK Aid to South Africa in 2011-12 and 2012-13 was £19 million. The categories of programme and expenditure are as follows:
	
		
			 Percentage 
			  2011-12 2012-13 
			 Promoting growth and jobs 32 9.1 
			 Supporting South Africa's efforts on Climate Change 11 6 
			 Tackling gender based violence and strengthening public sector performance 8 11 
			 Support to Maternal and Newborn Health 50 24 
			 Support to HIV and Aids 0 50 
			 Total 100 100

Southern Africa

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment her Department has made of any link between mining in southern Africa and infection rates for tuberculosis and HIV; and what steps her Department is taking to address rates of those diseases in the region.

Lynne Featherstone: There is an established link between tuberculosis (TB) and mining. The prevalence of tuberculosis globally in the general population is 128 cases per 100,000 population. Among miners in South Africa, the prevalence of TB is as high as 2,500 per 100,000 population. Infection rates of TB in the mining population are highly associated with high levels of HIV and silicosis, and the weakened immunity of miners as a result of extreme environmental working conditions.
	In South Africa, DFID is working with the mining sector, government and civil society and partners to reduce the burden of HIV and tuberculosis in 4.5 million miners. DFID is providing catalytic programme management support to improve the effectiveness and coordination of existing and planned efforts by the mining sector and government to lower the burden of these diseases among the mining workforce and their communities.

Southern Africa

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions officials in her Department have had with mining industry representatives on steps to address tuberculosis and HIV in the gold-mining industry in southern Africa.

Lynne Featherstone: In South Africa, DFID has engaged in a series of discussions led by the mining sector as part of a new initiative on how to reduce the burden of HIV and tuberculosis in the mining community. This partnership, involving government, civil society and development partners, will address the prevention and treatment of these diseases in 4.5 million miners and their communities in high burden areas in South Africa including in the gold-mining industry.

Southern Africa

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment her Department has made of the effects of tuberculosis in the gold-mining industry in southern Africa on achievement of the Millennium Development Goal-related target of halving the tuberculosis death rate by 2015, compared to 1990, in the African region.

Lynne Featherstone: The number of tuberculosis (TB) cases in goldmines is approximately three times higher than that of other mining industries such as coal and platinum. Although TB rates are declining overall including in the gold mining industry, the high levels of tuberculosis and HIV rates in southern Africa will be a particular challenge to achieving the millennium development goals in the region.
	Tuberculosis in sub-Saharan Africa has doubled over the last 20 years and is now almost three times the global average. South Africa is particularly badly affected with the prevalence of tuberculosis being 948 per 100,000, as against a global average of 128, and prevalence of 2,500 per 100,000 in the South African mining.

Telephone Services

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which telephone lines are operated by her Department for public enquiries or other services; what the (a) principal access number and (b) telephone service provider is for each number; and which such lines (i) are free to the caller and (ii) may incur a charge to the caller.

Alan Duncan: The information is as follows:
	(a) The principle access numbers are:
	0845 300 4100 (public inquiries—UK only);
	01355 84 3132 (public inquiries—outside UK);
	020 7023 0000 (switch board);
	020 7023 0600 (press office); and
	01355 84 4000 (Abercrombie House).
	(b) All numbers are provided by Level 3, a telecommunication company.
	All numbers are chargeable at local rates within the UK, the precise rates depend on the individual local telephone provider.

JUSTICE

Drugs: Prisons

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps his Department is taking to reduce drug use in prisons.

Jeremy Wright: NOMS has a comprehensive range of measures to tackle drugs. These include drug detection dogs, procedures to tackle visitors who seek to smuggle drugs and phones into prisons, and mobile phone detection technology. NOMS is also increasing the number of drug-free wings in prisons, rolling out a networked IT intelligence system and providing prisons with short-range mobile phone blockers which will help prisons prevent prisoners using mobile phones, which is often associated with drug supply.
	NOMS is working closely with the Department of Health and service providers to create integrated, recovery orientated and outcome focused substance misuse services. We are also piloting 11 drug recovery wings focused on abstinence and connecting offenders with services on release.

Fireworks: Yorkshire and the Humber

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many fixed penalties were issued relating to the misuse of fireworks in (a) Brigg and Goole constituency and (b) Yorkshire and the Humber in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many prosecutions were brought relating to the misuse of fireworks in (a) Brigg and Goole constituency and (b) Yorkshire and the Humber in each of the last five years.

Jeremy Wright: Data on the number of Penalty Notices for Disorder (PNDs) issued in the Yorkshire and Humberside police force area for offences related to fireworks and defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for throwing fireworks, in each year between 2007 and 2011 (latest available) can be viewed in the table. These data are not available at constituency level.
	Court proceedings data for 2012 are planned for publication in the spring of 2013.
	
		
			 Defendants given Penalty Notices for Disorder (PNDs) for offences related to the misuse of fireworks and defendants(1) proceeded against at magistrates courts for throwing fireworks(2), in the Yorkshire and Humberside police force area, in each year between 2007 to 2011 
			 Area/offence 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside      
			 PNDs issued:      
			 Breach of fireworks curfew(3) 3 0 1 3 3 
			 Possession of category 4 firework(3) 3 2 2 2 1 
			 Possession by a person under 18 of adult firework(3) 14 8 9 7 7 
			 Throwing fireworks 65 42 25 31 50 
			       
			 Proceedings at magistrates courts:      
			 Throwing fireworks 2 0 2 3 4 
			 (1) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Explosives Act 1875, S.80: Throwing, casting or firing any fireworks in or into any highway, street, public place etc. (3) Fireworks Regulations 2004 under s11 of the Fireworks Act 2003. Note: Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services within the Ministry of Justice.

Human Trafficking

Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will consider re-labelling offences as aggravated where human trafficking is involved.

Damian Green: Human trafficking is a serious crime and there are specific offences under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 (trafficking for sexual exploitation) and under the Asylum and Immigration Act 2004 (for other exploitation) which carry maximum penalties of 14 years' imprisonment. Victims of trafficking may have been subjected to other offences such as rape, false imprisonment and assault, which carry maximum penalties up to a life sentence. Prosecutors will consider the range of offences depending on the facts of the case and the choice of charges should reflect the full extent of the criminality and enable the court to sentence accordingly, including taking into account that the victim was subject to trafficking.
	We have no plans to change the law.

Minimum Wage: Prosecutions

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prosecutions were made against individuals or companies based in (a) Barrow and Furness constituency and (b) Cumbria for breaches of minimum wage legislation in each of the last three years.

Jeremy Wright: The Ministry of Justice court proceedings database holds information on defendants proceeded against, found guilty and sentenced for criminal offences in England and Wales. However, not all offences are individually reported within the centrally held data. Offences under the National Minimum Wage Act 1998 are reported as part of a miscellaneous group of offences which cannot be separately identified from other prosecutions.

Non-molestation Orders

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many non-molestation orders have been (a) requested and (b) granted under Part IV of the Family Law Act 1996, to deter someone from causing or threatening violence or molestation to the applicant or to any children in each year since 1996.

Jeremy Wright: The following table shows the total non-molestation applications and orders from 1998 to 2011.
	
		
			  Non-molestation applications Non-molestation orders 
			 1998 18,153 19,365 
			 1999 16,908 18,465 
			 2000 15,734 18,293 
			 2001 17,590 20,968 
			 2002 17,551 22,053 
			 2003 19,134 25,693 
			 2004 18,026 24,040 
			 2005 17,811 23,231 
			 2006 17,535 22,558 
			 2007 16,955 20,672 
			 2008 19,112 21,047 
			 2009 20,649 22,881 
			 2010 18,358 21,194 
			 2011 16,135 19,546 
		
	
	Figures prior to 1998 are not available as the relevant legislation, Part IV of the Family Law Act 1996, only came into force from 1 October 1997.
	Statistics on non-molestation orders for England and Wales from 2003 are published in the Ministry of Justice in the National Statistics publication “Court Statistics Quarterly”. The most recent edition, up to Quarter 3 (July to September) 2012, can be found at the following link:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/statistics/courts-and-sentencing/judicial-quarterly
	Provisional figures for England and Wales for calendar year 2012 will be published on 28 March 2013, with final figures being published at the end of June 2013.

Prisoners: Per Capita Costs

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent estimate he has made of the average annual cost of keeping an offender in (a) an adult prison, (b) a young offender institution and (c) a secure training centre in (i) the public and (ii) the private sector by main budget heading.

Jeremy Wright: The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) publishes average annual costs per prisoner and per prison place at the end of each financial year alongside the Management Information Addendum to the NOMS annual report and accounts. The information for average annual costs per prisoner in England and Wales for adult prisons and young offender institutions (YOI), split by ages 15 to 21 and 15 to 17, for financial year 2011-12 (the latest period for which figures are available) at public and private sector prisons is in the table.
	The public sector and private sector costs are not directly comparable because of differences in accounting treatment and scope of services.
	Secure training centres
	The cost of a place in a secure training centre for 2012-13 is £178,000. This is the price as at 1 April 2012 and does not include VAT. The Youth Justice Board calculates these costs based upon full occupancy and does not calculate the costs per prisoner. The cost is not broken down by budget heading as the financial mechanism aggregates the full cost of the provision into the price charged to the Youth Justice Board.
	
		
			 Overall average adult prison and youth offender institution 
			 Cost per prisoner by adult/YOI and public/private, 2011-12 
			  £ 
			 Prison category Public Private 
			 Adult 33,603 33,236 
			 YOI (ages 15 to 21) 41,381 n/a 
			 YOI (ages 15 to 17) 76,162 77,791 
		
	
	
		
			 £ 
			 Breakdown by main budget headings 
			  Adult YOI 
			  Public Private Public (15 to 21) Public (15 to 17) Private (15 to 17) 
			 Direct costs      
			 Payroll 19,320 5 23,610 46,387 401 
			 Non-pay 6,766 32,273 8,144 15,226 79,552 
			 Income -2,388 -484 -1,936 -3,024 — 
		
	
	
		
			  23,699 31,795 29,819 58,590 79,953 
			       
			 Allocated and apportioned costs      
			 Accommodation related 3,308 108 4,082 5,560 — 
			 Central costs(1) 4,959 -304 5,843 10,373 -3,799 
			 Prisoner Escort and Custody Service 1,638 1,638 1,638 1,638 1,638 
			  9,905 1,442 11,563 17,572 -2,161 
			       
			 Overall average annual cost 33,603 33,236 41,381 76,162 77,791 
			 (1) Includes shared services centre, IT, headquarters, restructure costs, etc. Notes: 1. The overall average costs comprise the direct local establishment costs of public and private prisons, increased by an apportionment of relevant costs borne centrally and in the regions by NOMS (as recorded in the addendum to the National Offender Management Service Agency 2011-12 Annual Report and Accounts). This involves some estimation. Expenditure which is met by other Government Departments or directly by the Youth Justice Board, such as expenditure on health and education, is not included. Expenditure recharged to the Youth Justice Board in respect of young people is included. 2. The costs represent the total cost per prisoner at each prison where the majority use at the end of the year was as adult prison, YOI (aged 15 to 17) or YOI (aged 15 to 21). There is no adjustment for prisons holding prisoners of more than one category. 3. A split of the YOI (aged 15 to 21) category to show unit cost information for under-18 juveniles only within those establishments is not available. Furthermore, there are no private YOI establishments that house prisoners in the aged 15 to 21 category. 4. The public sector and private sector costs are not directly comparable because of differences in accounting treatment and scope of services. 5. Average price per place figures are also calculated by the Youth Justice Board (YJB). These are calculated differently to the figures above, and are based on the YJB budget allocations at the beginning of each financial year for services in young people's secure custodial facilities. The YJB prices include additional funding for services specific to the juvenile population which are not included in the NOMS' calculation of YOI costs such as advocacy services (in all under-18 YOIs); Lucy Faithfull Foundation services in a number of YOIs for young people who sexually abuse; social worker services; and Youth Offending Team services in private sector YOIs.

Prisons

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what the (a) capacity, (b) population and (c) category status was of HM Prison (i) Cardiff, (ii) Forest Bank, (iii) Northallerton, (iv) Nottingham, (v) Portland, (vi) Preston, (vii) Rochester, (viii) Stoke Heath and (ix) Swansea in each month since May 2010;
	(2)  how many prisoners aged (a) under 18, (b) between 18 and 21 and (c) over 21 years have been held in HM Prison (i) Cardiff, (ii) Forest Bank, (iii) Northallerton, (iv) Nottingham, (v) Portland, (vi) Preston, (vii) Rochester, (viii) Stoke Heath and (ix) Swansea in each month since May 2010.

Jeremy Wright: Table 1 details the capacity, population and category status in each month since May 2010 at HM Prisons Cardiff, Forest Bank, Northallerton, Nottingham, Portland, Preston, Rochester, Stoke Heath and Swansea.
	Table 2 provides the number of prisoners aged 15 to 17, between 18 and 20 and over 20 at HM Prisons Cardiff, Forest Bank, Northallerton, Nottingham, Portland, Preston, Rochester, Stoke Heath and Swansea in each month since May 2010.
	Young adults (aged 18 to 21 years old) sentenced to detention in a young offender institution (YOI) are detained in YOIs as required by section 98 of the Powers of the Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000. These are normally self-contained but in some establishments that have a dual designation (designated both as a prison and a YOI) young adults are held alongside adults. In these cases, the majority of the facilities are shared but, regardless of dual or single designation, young adults detained in YOIs always have separate sleeping accommodation.
	Governing governors and controllers of contracted prisons must ensure that approved operational capacity at each prison is not normally exceeded other than on an exceptional basis to accommodate pressing operational need.
	The Government provides safe, decent and secure places for all those committed to custody by the courts. Although the tables contain population figures exceeding operational capacity in some cases, all were actually operating within agreed operational capacity levels.
	This recording anomaly appears because either central capacity records had yet to be updated (ie a cell certificate signed by a Deputy Director of Custody had yet to be received but the prison was operating at the revised capacity levels) or mis-recording had occurred where those recorded as an authorised absence had not had their records updated to reflect that they had been fully discharged from prison and were therefore incorrectly counted in the overall population.
	Decisions on the future size of the prison estate will reflect the current and projected prison population, including an assessment of the necessary margin to manage population fluctuations.
	
		
			 Table 1: Population, operational capacity & predominant function since May 2010 
			  Cardiff Forest Bank Northallerton 
			  Total population Total capacity Predominant function Total population Total capacity Predominant function Total population Total capacity Predominant function 
			 2010          
			 May 798 824 Local 1,362 1,424 Local 227 242 YOI 
			 Jun 805 824 Local 1,348 1,424 Local 232 242 YOI 
			 Jul 803 824 Local 1,366 1,424 Local 224 242 YOI 
			 Aug 821 824 Local 1,315 1,424 Local 163 242 YOI 
			 Sep 831 824 Local 1,329 1,424 Local 178 242 YOI 
			 Oct 837 824 Local 1,388 1,424 Local 194 242 YOI 
			 Nov 835 824 Local 1,371 1,424 Local 196 242 YOI 
		
	
	
		
			 Dec 822 824 Local 1,308 1,424 Local 172 242 YOI 
			           
			 2011          
			 Jan 817 824 Local 1,325 1,424 Local 180 252 YOI 
			 Feb 820 824 Local 1,367 1,424 Local 171 252 YOI 
			 Mar 801 824 Local 1,363 1,394 Local 176 252 YOI 
			 Apr 817 824 Local 1,313 1,364 Local 192 252 YOI 
			 May 779 804 Local 1,326 1,364 Local 193 252 YOI 
			 Jun 798 804 Local 1,309 1,364 Local 189 252 YOI 
			 Jul 798 804 Local 1,364 1,364 Local 199 252 YOI 
			 Aug 808 804 Local 1,337 1,364 Local 194 252 YOI 
			 Sep 818 814 Local 1,345 1,364 Local 232 252 YOI 
			 Oct 816 814 Local 1,412 1,440 Local 226 252 YOI 
			 Nov 815 814 Local 1,359 1,364 Local 245 252 YOI 
			 Dec 812 814 Local 1,318 1,364 Local 233 252 YOI 
			           
			 2012          
			 Jan 813 814 Local 1,362 1,364 Local 239 252 YOI 
			 Feb 810 814 Local 1,360 1,364 Local 232 252 YOI 
			 Mar 814 814 Local 1,353 1,364 Local 237 252 YOI 
			 Apr 805 814 Local 1,313 1,364 Local 233 252 YOI 
			 May 807 814 Local 1,316 1,364 Local 239 252 YOI 
			 Jun 803 814 Local 1,302 1,364 Local 231 252 YOI 
			 Jul 807 814 Local 1,299 1,364 Local 232 252 YOI 
			 Aug 807 814 Local 1,331 1,364 Local 232 252 YOI 
			 Sep 780 804 Local 1,340 1,364 Local 237 252 YOI 
			 Oct 796 804 Local 1,304 1,364 Local 224 252 YOI 
			 Nov 779 804 Local 1,294 1,364 Local 233 252 YOI 
			 Dec 755 804 Local 1,253 1,364 Local 220 252 YOI 
			           
			 2013          
			 Jan 780 804 Local 1234 1364 Local 188 252 YOI 
		
	
	
		
			  Nottingham Portland Preston 
			  Total population Total capacity Predominant function Total population Total capacity Predominant function Total population Total capacity Predominant function 
			 2010          
			 May 786 825 Local 470 483 YOI 763 842 Local 
			 Jun 874 894 Local 466 483 YOI 756 838 Local 
			 Jul 1,023 994 Local 461 483 YOI 749 838 Local 
			 Aug 1,049 1,060 Local 471 483 YOI 774 838 Local 
			 Sep 1,061 1,060 Local 469 483 YOI 751 840 Local 
			 Oct 1,058 1,060 Local 478 483 YOI 780 840 Local 
			 Nov 1,051 1,060 Local 471 483 YOI 758 840 Local 
			 Dec 962 1,060 Local 428 483 YOI 752 840 Local 
			           
			 2011          
			 Jan 1,021 1,060 Local 392 483 YOI 759 840 Local 
			 Feb 1,046 1,060 Local 409 483 YOI 782 840 Local 
			 Mar 1,034 1,060 Local 445 483 YOI 777 840 Local 
			 Apr 1,055 1,060 Local 450 483 YOI 765 840 Local 
			 May 1,011 1,060 Local 457 483 YOI 738 842 Local 
			 Jun 1,007 1,060 Local 467 483 YOI 737 842 Local 
			 Jul 1,030 1,060 Local 462 483 YOI 732 842 Local 
			 Aug 1,053 1,060 Local 491 505 YOI 751 842 Local 
			 Sep 1,058 1,060 Local 495 505 YOI 749 842 Local 
			 Oct 1,051 1,060 Local 489 505 YOI 758 842 Local 
			 Nov 1,056 1,060 Local 493 505 YOI 763 842 Local 
			 Dec 1,028 1,060 Local 501 505 YOI 729 842 Local 
			           
		
	
	
		
			 2012          
			 Jan 1,060 1,060 Local 493 505 YOI 756 842 Local 
			 Feb 1,034 1,060 Local 497 505 YOI 754 842 Local 
			 Mar 1,041 1,060 Local 486 505 YOI 741 826 Local 
			 Apr 1,061 1,060 Local 490 505 YOI 742 842 Local 
			 May 1,048 1,060 Local 486 505 YOI 738 842 Local 
			 Jun 1,049 1,060 Local 511 530 YOI 714 842 Local 
			 Jul 1,033 1,060 Local 507 530 YOI 712 842 Local 
			 Aug 1,011 1,060 Local 519 530 YOI 712 842 Local 
			 Sep 1,051 1,060 Local 525 530 YOI 718 842 Local 
			 Oct 1,004 1,060 Local 501 530 YOI 705 842 Local 
			 Nov 972 1,060 Local 481 530 YOI 693 842 Local 
			 Dec 935 1,060 Local 471 530 YOI 682 843 Local 
			           
			 2013          
			 Jan 970 1,060 Local 468 530 YOI 712 843 Local 
		
	
	
		
			  Rochester Stoke Heath Swansea 
			  Total population Total capacity Predominant function Total population Total capacity Predominant function Total population Total capacity Predominant function 
			 2010          
			 May 714 724 YOI 592 692 YOI 394 422 Local 
			 Jun 722 724 YOI 603 692 YOI 422 428 Local 
			 Jul 725 724 YOI 584 692 YOI 417 428 Local 
			 Aug 688 724 YOI 602 692 YOI 419 428 Local 
			 Sep 695 724 YOI 577 732 YOI 423 428 Local 
			 Oct 646 664 YOI 576 750 YOI 392 428 Local 
			 Nov 663 664 YOI 538 750 YOI 421 428 Local 
			 Dec 615 649 YOI 505 750 YOI 410 428 Local 
			           
			 2011          
			 Jan 638 649 YOI 479 750 YOI 416 428 Local 
			 Feb 646 658 YOI 489 750 YOI 419 428 Local 
			 Mar 632 658 YOI 464 750 YOI 422 428 Local 
			 Apr 620 658 YOI 436 750 YOI 424 428 Local 
			 May 551 658 YOI 348 750 YOI 427 435 Local 
			 Jun 535 658 YOI 256 750 Cat C 433 435 Local 
			 Jul 569 658 YOI 268 750 Cat C 425 435 Local 
			 Aug 617 664 YOI 331 750 Cat C 435 435 Local 
			 Sep 641 664 YOI 459 750 Cat C 437 445 Local 
			 Oct 647 664 YOI 514 750 Cat C 444 445 Local 
			 Nov 595 664 YOI 600 750 Cat C 445 445 Local 
			 Dec 545 562 YOI 673 750 Cat C 444 445 Local 
			           
			 2012          
			 Jan 556 562 YOI 686 750 Cat C 447 445 Local 
			 Feb 543 562 YOI 693 750 Cat C 430 445 Local 
			 Mar 546 562 YOI 685 750 Cat C 444 445 Local 
			 Apr 542 562 YOI 663 750 Cat C 440 445 Local 
			 May 545 610 YOI 663 750 Cat C 438 445 Local 
			 Jun 575 658 YOI 623 750 Cat C 434 435 Local 
			 Jul 579 658 YOI 637 750 Cat C 436 435 Local 
			 Aug 627 658 YOI 615 750 Cat C 439 435 Local 
			 Sep 642 658 YOI 641 750 Cat C 423 435 Local 
			 Oct 647 658 YOI 634 766 Cat C 443 435 Local 
			 Nov 653 658 YOI 644 766 Cat C 437 435 Local 
			 Dec 639 658 YOI 625 766 Cat C 406 435 Local 
			           
			 2013          
			 Jan 654 658 YOI 642 766 Cat C 427 435 Local 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Population in prison by establishment and age group, May 2010 to December 2012, England and Wales 
			  Establishment 15 t o17 years old 18 to 20 years old Adult All 
			 May 2010 Cardiff 0 0 794 794 
			  Forest Bank 0 113 1,248 1,361 
			  Northallerton 0 206 19 225 
			  Nottingham 0 0 780 780 
			  Portland 0 413 62 475 
			  Preston 0 0 781 781 
			  Rochester 0 644 59 703 
			  Stoke Heath 105 464 26 595 
			  Swansea 0 1 402 403 
			 June 2010 Cardiff 0 0 794 794 
			  Forest Bank 0 106 1,238 1,344 
			  Northallerton 0 212 18 230 
			  Nottingham 0 0 898 898 
			  Portland 0 420 48 468 
			  Preston 0 0 753 753 
			  Rochester 0 667 56 723 
			  Stoke Heath 118 452 25 595 
			  Swansea 0 1 420 421 
			 July 2010 Cardiff 0 0 805 805 
			  Forest Bank 0 96 1,260 1,356 
			  Northallerton 0 191 21 212 
			  Nottingham 0 0 1,011 1,011 
			  Portland 0 412 52 464 
			  Preston 0 1 744 745 
			  Rochester 0 643 69 712 
			  Stoke Heath 124 423 29 576 
			  Swansea 0 1 418 419 
			 August 2010 Cardiff 0 0 816 816 
			  Forest Bank 0 100 1,221 1,321 
			  Northallerton 0 137 17 154 
			  Nottingham 0 21 1,026 1,047 
			  Portland 0 409 58 467 
			  Preston 0 1 774 775 
			  Rochester 0 617 70 687 
			  Stoke Heath 112 441 40 593 
			  Swansea 0 0 419 419 
			 September 2010 Cardiff 0 0 830 830 
			  Forest Bank 0 105 1,261 1,366 
			  Northallerton 0 144 46 190 
			  Nottingham 0 43 982 1,025 
			  Portland 0 399 62 461 
			  Preston 0 1 770 771 
			  Rochester 0 595 79 674 
			  Stoke Heath 119 423 35 577 
			  Swansea 0 0 427 427 
			 October 2010 Cardiff 0 45 792 837 
			  Forest Bank 0 115 1,259 1,374 
			  Northallerton 0 128 60 188 
			  Nottingham 0 80 976 1,056 
			  Portland 0 403 75 478 
			  Preston 0 1 766 767 
			  Rochester 0 571 67 638 
			  Stoke Heath 125 421 33 579 
			  Swansea 0 27 366 393 
			 November 2010 Cardiff 0 42 798 840 
		
	
	
		
			  Forest Bank 0 124 1,248 1,372 
			  Northallerton 0 134 60 194 
			  Nottingham 0 96 956 1,052 
			  Portland 0 402 64 466 
			  Preston 0 2 758 760 
			  Rochester 0 583 76 659 
			  Stoke Heath 113 390 36 539 
			  Swansea 0 15 402 417 
			 December 2010 Cardiff 0 46 776 822 
			  Forest Bank 0 119 1,189 1,308 
			  Northallerton 0 120 52 172 
			  Nottingham 0 56 906 962 
			  Portland 0 354 74 428 
			  Preston 0 1 751 752 
			  Rochester 0 539 76 615 
			  Stoke Heath 114 356 35 505 
			  Swansea 0 21 389 410 
			 January 2011 Cardiff 0 45 778 823 
			  Forest Bank 0 113 1,199 1,312 
			  Northallerton 0 120 56 176 
			  Nottingham 0 102 945 1,047 
			  Portland 0 328 70 398 
			  Preston 0 1 759 760 
			  Rochester 0 549 73 622 
			  Stoke Heath 94 346 34 474 
			  Swansea 0 25 393 418 
			 February 2011 Cardiff 0 48 765 813 
			  Forest Bank 0 106 1,274 1,380 
			  Northallerton 0 111 56 167 
			  Nottingham 0 76 970 1,046 
			  Portland 0 347 71 418 
			  Preston 0 1 768 769 
			  Rochester 0 566 75 641 
			  Stoke Heath 51 403 35 489 
			  Swansea 0 27 394 421 
			 March 2011 Cardiff 0 48 766 814 
			  Forest Bank 0 98 1,252 1,350 
			  Northallerton 0 122 60 182 
			  Nottingham 0 72 974 1,046 
			  Portland 0 379 74 453 
			  Preston 0 0 771 771 
			  Rochester 0 564 67 631 
			  Stoke Heath 7 418 32 457 
			  Swansea 0 22 385 407 
			 April 2011 Cardiff 1 56 740 797 
			  Forest Bank 0 92 1,217 1,309 
			  Northallerton 0 140 65 205 
			  Nottingham 0 76 941 1,017 
			  Portland 0 389 73 462 
			  Preston 0 0 735 735 
			  Rochester 0 521 65 586 
			  Stoke Heath 0 365 32 397 
			  Swansea 0 26 393 419 
			 May 2011 Cardiff 0 59 737 796 
		
	
	
		
			  Forest Bank 0 93 1,246 1,339 
			  Northallerton 0 127 61 188 
			  Nottingham 0 80 941 1,021 
			  Portland 0 379 75 454 
			  Preston 0 0 732 732 
			  Rochester 0 474 68 542 
			  Stoke Heath 0 300 38 338 
			  Swansea 0 26 403 429 
			 June 2011 Cardiff 0 51 751 802 
			  Forest Bank 0 98 1,242 1,340 
			  Northallerton 0 125 64 189 
			  Nottingham 0 63 930 993 
			  Portland 0 359 108 467 
			  Preston 0 1 758 759 
			  Rochester 0 449 87 536 
			  Stoke Heath 0 206 41 247 
			  Swansea 0 17 402 419 
			 July 2011 Cardiff 0 52 752 804 
			  Forest Bank 0 127 1,236 1,363 
			  Northallerton 0 132 62 194 
			  Nottingham 0 80 943 1,023 
			  Portland 0 336 129 465 
			  Preston 0 16 711 727 
			  Rochester 0 468 99 567 
			  Stoke Heath 0 166 100 266 
			  Swansea 0 25 401 426 
			 August 2011 Cardiff 0 56 740 796 
			  Forest Bank 0 196 1,156 1,352 
			  Northallerton 0 111 89 200 
			  Nottingham 0 93 964 1,057 
			  Portland 0 332 153 485 
			  Preston 0 68 684 752 
			  Rochester 0 488 133 621 
			  Stoke Heath 0 174 174 348 
			  Swansea 0 30 404 434 
			 September 2011 Cardiff 0 53 765 818 
			  Forest Bank 0 199 1,146 1,345 
			  Northallerton 0 76 156 232 
			  Nottingham 0 112 946 1,058 
			  Portland 0 338 157 495 
			  Preston 0 64 685 749 
			  Rochester 0 482 159 641 
			  Stoke Heath 0 181 278 459 
			  Swansea 0 27 410 437 
			 October 2011 Cardiff 0 47 774 821 
			  Forest Bank 0 185 1,234 1,419 
			  Northallerton 0 53 169 222 
			  Nottingham 0 124 930 1,054 
			  Portland 0 328 158 486 
			  Preston 0 51 699 750 
			  Rochester 0 476 166 642 
			  Stoke Heath 0 153 372 525 
			  Swansea 0 33 411 444 
			 November 2011 Cardiff 0 48 759 807 
		
	
	
		
			  Forest Bank 0 195 1,163 1,358 
			  Northallerton 0 41 205 246 
			  Nottingham 0 93 959 1,052 
			  Portland 0 326 165 491 
			  Preston 0 49 706 755 
			  Rochester 0 415 171 586 
			  Stoke Heath 1 170 439 610 
			  Swansea 0 31 409 440 
			 December 2011 Cardiff 0 49 748 797 
			  Forest Bank 0 161 1,135 1,296 
			  Northallerton 0 38 190 228 
			  Nottingham 0 77 932 1,009 
			  Portland 1 340 161 502 
			  Preston 0 43 666 709 
			  Rochester 0 366 177 543 
			  Stoke Heath 1 181 478 660 
			  Swansea 0 31 407 438 
			 January 2012 Cardiff 0 48 756 804 
			  Forest Bank 0 181 1,181 1,362 
			  Northallerton 0 39 198 237 
			  Nottingham 0 55 1,002 1,057 
			  Portland 1 335 157 493 
			  Preston 0 44 702 746 
			  Rochester 0 378 179 557 
			  Stoke Heath 1 161 521 683 
			  Swansea 0 32 413 445 
			 February 2012 Cardiff 0 43 769 812 
			  Forest Bank 0 165 1,167 1,332 
			  Northallerton 0 43 181 224 
			  Nottingham 0 54 993 1,047 
			  Portland 1 331 165 497 
			  Preston 0 47 707 754 
			  Rochester 0 372 179 551 
			  Stoke Heath 1 170 523 694 
			  Swansea 0 29 408 437 
			 March 2012 Cardiff 0 36 772 808 
			  Forest Bank 0 171 1,166 1,337 
			  Northallerton 0 48 186 234 
			  Nottingham 0 49 990 1,039 
			  Portland 0 328 159 487 
			  Preston 0 62 675 737 
			  Rochester 0 359 188 547 
			  Stoke Heath 0 158 518 676 
			  Swansea 0 31 398 429 
			 April 2012 Cardiff 0 46 765 811 
			  Forest Bank 0 150 1,168 1,318 
			  Northallerton 0 53 179 232 
			  Nottingham 0 67 999 1,066 
			  Portland 0 325 169 494 
			  Preston 0 50 693 743 
			  Rochester 0 356 186 542 
			  Stoke Heath 0 157 500 657 
			  Swansea 0 29 406 435 
			 May 2012 Cardiff 0 45 770 815 
		
	
	
		
			  Forest Bank 0 145 1,166 1,311 
			  Northallerton 0 57 176 233 
			  Nottingham 0 105 959 1,064 
			  Portland 0 321 169 490 
			  Preston 0 53 700 753 
			  Rochester 0 339 218 557 
			  Stoke Heath 0 143 509 652 
			  Swansea 0 25 413 438 
			 June 2012 Cardiff 0 46 744 790 
			  Forest Bank 0 168 1,127 1,295 
			  Northallerton 0 43 185 228 
			  Nottingham 0 94 945 1,039 
			  Portland 0 339 169 508 
			  Preston 0 46 661 707 
			  Rochester 0 335 242 577 
			  Stoke Heath 0 129 494 623 
			  Swansea 0 20 412 432 
			 July 2012 Cardiff 0 61 736 797 
			  Forest Bank 0 147 1,137 1,284 
			  Northallerton 0 35 190 225 
			  Nottingham 0 87 950 1,037 
			  Portland 0 315 187 502 
			  Preston 0 52 666 718 
			  Rochester 0 325 258 583 
			  Stoke Heath 0 115 524 639 
			  Swansea 0 16 422 438 
			 August 2012 Cardiff 0 62 745 807 
			  Forest Bank 0 154 1,177 1,331 
			  Northallerton 0 35 197 232 
			  Nottingham 0 82 929 1,011 
			  Portland 0 311 208 519 
			  Preston 0 50 662 712 
			  Rochester 0 304 323 627 
			  Stoke Heath 0 104 511 615 
			  Swansea 0 21 418 439 
			 September 2012 Cardiff 0 51 737 788 
			  Forest Bank 0 150 1,192 1,342 
			  Northallerton 0 35 200 235 
			  Nottingham 0 96 966 1,062 
			  Portland 0 310 210 520 
			  Preston 0 44 660 704 
			  Rochester 0 244 404 648 
			  Stoke Heath 0 106 536 642 
			  Swansea 0 29 390 419 
			 October 2012 Cardiff 0 46 745 791 
			  Forest Bank 0 140 1,135 1,275 
			  Northallerton 0 29 192 221 
			  Nottingham 0 93 899 992 
			  Portland 0 269 217 486 
			  Preston 0 37 669 706 
			  Rochester 0 217 431 648 
			  Stoke Heath 0 98 529 627 
			  Swansea 0 27 416 443 
			 November 2012 Cardiff 0 44 735 779 
		
	
	
		
			  Forest Bank 0 132 1,162 1,294 
			  Northallerton 0 33 200 233 
			  Nottingham 0 82 890 972 
			  Portland 0 258 223 481 
			  Preston 0 35 658 693 
			  Rochester 0 211 442 653 
			  Stoke Heath 0 104 540 644 
			  Swansea 0 27 410 437 
			 December 2012 Cardiff 0 39 714 753 
			  Forest Bank 0 108 1,139 1,247 
			  Northallerton 0 30 186 216 
			  Nottingham 0 79 856 935 
			  Portland 0 267 204 471 
			  Preston 0 31 638 669 
			  Rochester 0 190 449 639 
			  Stoke Heath 0 98 525 623 
			  Swansea 0 26 376 402 
			 Data sources and quality: These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prisons: Visits

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners in each prison have been allowed to visit family members in other prisons in each of the last five years.

Jeremy Wright: The following table shows the number of visits between family members recorded as having taken place from each prison establishment in each of the years 2010, 2011 and 2012.
	
		
			 Establishment 2010 2011 2012 Total 
			 Brinsford 2 — — 2 
			 Castington — 1 — 1 
			 Coldingley — 1 — 1 
			 Deerbolt — 1 — 1 
			 Drake Hall 1 4 — 5 
			 Erlestoke 1 — — 1 
			 Everthorpe 1 — — 1 
			 Featherstone — 1 — 1 
			 Ford — 2 — 2 
			 Foston Hall — 1 — 1 
			 Lewes 1 — 1 2 
			 Lowdham Grange — — 1 1 
			 Parkhurst 1 — — I 
			 Rochester — 1 — 1 
			 Styal I — — 1 
			 Swinfen Hall 1 1 1 3 
			 The Mount 1 — — 1 
			 Wetherby — 1 — 1 
			 Total 10 14 3 27 
		
	
	Figures are not available prior to 2010 as central collection only became possible with the rollout of the National Offender Management Information System (Prison-NOMIS).
	The figures used in the answer have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prisons: Visits

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many inter-prison visit requests were made from the secure youth estate in each year since May 2005; and how many such requests were granted;
	(2)  how many inter-prison visit requests were made from the secure adult estate in each year since May 2005; and how many such requests were granted;
	(3)  how many inter-prison visit requests were made by those (a) normally and (b) not normally held in the same type of establishment; and how many of these requests were granted in each such category in each year since May 2005;
	(4)  how many inter-prison visit requests were made by those in (a) marriages, (b) civil partnerships and (c) long-term relationships since May 2010; and how many such requests were granted.

Jeremy Wright: Figures are not available prior to 2010 as central collection only became possible with the roll-out of the National Offender Management Information System (Prison-NOMIS).
	The available information relates to completed visits. Information on the number of visits which were requested is not recorded.
	The number of inter-prison visits from young offender institutions and adult prison establishments recorded as having taken place in the years 2010, 2011 and 2012 are set out in Table 1.
	
		
			 Table 1: Number of inter-prison visits completed from YOIs and adult prison establishments 
			  YOI Adult Total 
			 2010 5 30 35 
			 2011 9 51 60 
			 2012 2 47 49 
			 Total 16 128 144 
		
	
	The figures for young offender institutions (YOIs) relate to those establishments whose primary function is to hold young adults aged 18 to 20 or young people aged 15 to 17. Data for establishments which have a dual function as an adult prison and YOI cannot be split because the data are collected at whole-establishment level and not disaggregated between functions. In the above table the figures for dual function establishments are included in the adult category.
	Table 2 shows the number of visits recorded as having taken place between prisons in the same category and prisons in different categories.
	
		
			 Table 2: Number of inter-prison visits completed between prisons in the same category and between prisons in different categories 
			  Same category Different category Total 
			 2010 2 33 35 
			 2011 2 58 60 
			 2012 4 45 49 
			 Total 8 136 144 
		
	
	The number of inter-prison visits recorded as having taken place between prisoners in marriages and long-term relationships is provided in Table 3. No information is available in relation to prisoners in civil partnerships.
	
		
			 Table 3: Number of inter-prison visits completed between prisoners in marriages and long-term relationships 
			  Marriage Long term relationship Total 
			 2010 1 4 5 
			 2011 6 7 13 
			 2012 1 5 6 
			 Total 8 16 24 
		
	
	The figures used in the answer have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
	Inter-prison visits are only allowed in exceptional circumstances, all visits are risk assessed and prison governors reserve the right to refuse any application. No conjugal visits permitted.

Trials: Young People

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many defendants under the age of 18 years appeared in courts in (a) Lancashire and (b) the rest of England in 2012 by age; and how many of these were unaccompanied by (i) a family member, (ii) a local authority representative and (iii) anyone.

Jeremy Wright: The Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings Database holds information on defendants proceeded against, found guilty and sentenced for criminal offences in England and Wales. This database holds information on offences provided by the statutes under which proceedings are brought but not the specific circumstances of each case. Therefore, it is not possible to separately identify from this centrally held information those defendants who appeared in court either unaccompanied or accompanied.

Young Offenders: Custodial Treatment

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people under the age of 18 years sentenced to immediate custody went on to serve a custodial sentence in each year since 2001.

Jeremy Wright: The number of juvenile offenders aged 10-17 sentenced at all courts to immediate custody, in England and Wales, over the period 2001 to 2011, is available in Table Q5.7 of the sentencing tables within the “Criminal Justice Quarterly Update to December 2011” publication, at the following link:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/statistics/criminal-justice/criminal-justice-statistics/criminal-justice-statistics-editions
	All young people aged under 18 years sentenced to immediate custody will serve, or have served, their sentence in youth detention accommodation, i.e. a young offender institution, a secure training centre or a secure children's home.

Young Offenders: Reoffenders

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps his Department is taking to reduce the binary re-offending rate of young offenders.

Jeremy Wright: Reducing reoffending by young people is a key priority for this Government which we are pursuing in a number of ways, including through:
	the range of provisions in the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012, which promote more effective rehabilitation of young offenders. These include providing courts with greater flexibility in sentencing, and promoting the greater use of restorative justice;
	the DCLG-led Troubled Families initiative, which has a specific youth offending indicator
	our work to transform the youth secure estate, by placing education at the centre of our efforts to rehabilitate serious and persistent young offenders. The consultation period on our recent Green Paper ends on 30 April.

Young Offenders: Sentencing

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of young offenders from (a) Barnsley Central constituency, (b) South Yorkshire and (c) England have been given custodial sentences.

Jeremy Wright: The number of juveniles (10 to 17-year-olds) sentenced to an immediate custodial sentence and the proportion, by South Yorkshire police force area and England from 2007 to 2011 can be viewed in the tables.
	Information available centrally does not allow a breakdown of cases by parliamentary constituency or local authority area.
	
		
			 Number of juveniles (10 to 17-year-olds) sentenced to an immediate custodial sentence and the proportion, by South Yorkshire police force area and England, 2007-11(1,2) 
			  2007 2008 2009 
			  Sentenced Immediate custody Proportion % Sentenced Immediate custody Proportion % Sentenced Immediate custody Proportion % 
			 South Yorkshire 2,394 158 6.6 2,432 167 6.9 2,197 162 7.4 
			 England 92,495 5,500 5.9 83,988 5,204 6.2 76,996 4,643 6.0 
		
	
	
		
			  2010 2011 
			  Sentenced Immediate custody Proportion % Sentenced Immediate custody Proportion % 
			 South Yorkshire 2,072 154 7.4 1,574 153 9.7 
			 England 69,659 3,965 5.7 58,992 3,903 6.6 
			 (1) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice

EDUCATION

16-19 Bursary Fund: Barrow in Furness

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many students in Barrow and Furness constituency received funding through the Bursary Fund in the most recent year for which data is available; and what the average payment was under that fund.

David Laws: The 16-19 Bursary Fund began in September 2011. Local level information on the number of young people who have received Bursary Fund payments, and the amount paid to each recipient, is not held centrally. Information on payments made in Barrow and Furness will be held by the schools, colleges and training providers concerned.

Adoption: Lancashire

Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children were adopted in Lancaster and Fleetwood constituency in the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Timpson: The number of looked after children in Lancashire local authority who were adopted in the years ending 31 March 2010, 2011, and 2012 is 60, 50 and 70 respectively. Information at constituency level is not available.
	This information has been taken from table LAE1 of the Statistical First Release ‘Children Looked After by Local Authorities in England (including adoption and care leavers)—year ending 31 March 2012’. This Statistical First Release can be found on the Department's website via the following link:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/researchandstatistics/statistics/a00213762/children-looked-after-las-england
	and copies of this report will be placed in the House Libraries.

Children in Care

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he first received the reports of the Task and Finish Working Groups on (a) the quality of residential children's homes and (b) placing children in care out of area; and when he proposes to publish these reports.

Edward Timpson: The report of the work of the Expert Group on Quality and of the Out of Area Task and Finish Group was received by Ministers just prior to the Christmas recess. This was a very helpful analysis which we will soon be publishing on our website. I announced next steps on children's homes reform in speeches at the vulnerable children's conference on 5 February, hosted by Barnardos. These include:
	improved data collection about children who go missing;
	removing regulatory barriers to make it possible to share information on the location of children's homes with the police; and
	consulting on measures to strengthen the accountability of local authorities and children's homes for safeguarding vulnerable children, especially when they are placed significant distances away from their home communities.

Children in Care

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he first received the findings of the working group on the quality of residential children's homes established in July 2012; and for what reasons it has not yet been published.

Edward Timpson: The report of the work of the Expert Group on Quality was received by Ministers just prior to the Christmas recess. We will be publishing it this month with a statement which sets out our immediate and medium-term plan on children's homes reform. We have held a number of helpful next steps meetings with representatives from local authorities and with children's homes providers about our plans.
	I have already outlined next steps on children's homes reform as part of my speech on 5 February at the vulnerable children's conference hosted by Barnardo's. These include:
	improved data collection about children who go missing;
	removing regulatory barriers so Ofsted is enabled to share information on the location of children's homes with the police; and
	consulting on measures to strengthen the accountability of local authorities and children's homes for safeguarding looked-after children placed in distant placements away from the authorities responsible for their care.

Children in Care

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he has received the findings of the working party on the placement of children in care out of area established in July 2012; and when he plans to publish the findings.

Edward Timpson: The report of the work of the Out of Area Task and Finish Group was combined with the report of the Expert Group on Quality and was received by Ministers just prior to the Christmas recess. We will be publishing this on our website this month. I have already outlined next steps on children's homes reform in speeches at the vulnerable children's conference on 5 February hosted by Barnardo's. These include consulting on regulatory measures to strengthen the accountability of local authorities and children's homes for safeguarding vulnerable children, especially when they are placed significant distances away from their home communities.

Children: Day Care

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the level of provision of formal childcare during school holidays in Birmingham in each of the last three years.

Elizabeth Truss: The Department's Childcare and Early Years Providers Survey collects information on the number of holiday clubs, nationally and by region. Estimates at a local authority level are not available.
	The following table provides estimates of the number of holiday clubs in the west midlands for the last three years. Information for 2011 is the latest available.
	
		
			 Number of holiday clubs in the west midlands for 2009, 2010 and 2011 
			  2009 2010 2011 
			 Holiday clubs in west midlands 750 1,000 950 
			 Note: Figures rounded to the nearest 50. Source: Childcare and Early Years Providers Survey 2009, 2010, 2011 
		
	
	Information on the number of child care providers, other than holiday clubs, offering formal child care during the school holidays is not readily available.
	The 2011 Childcare and Early Years Providers survey can be accessed here:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/researchandstatistics/statistics/allstatistics/a00213767/childcare-early-vears-providers-survey-2011
	Copies of this report will be placed in the House Libraries.

Children: Death

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  how many child deaths recorded in each of the years 2008 to 2011 were classified as (a) preventable and (b) non-preventable;
	(2)  in how many cases of preventable child death in each of the years from 2008 to 2011 lack of access to medical records was deemed a factor.

Edward Timpson: holding answer 21 March 2013
	The number of child death reviews which were completed by child death overview panels (CDOPs) between 2008-09 and 2011-12 are shown in the following table. From 1 April 2008, all Local Safeguarding Children Boards have had a statutory responsibility to review the deaths of all children from birth (excluding still born babies) up to 18 years, who are normally resident within their area; therefore the first data collected from CDOPs were for reviews completed in 2008-09.
	Until 31 March 2010 panels assessed if deaths were preventable (defined as events, actions or omissions contributing to the death of a child or to substandard care of a child who died, and which, by means of national or locally achievable interventions, can be modified). After this point panels assessed if there were modifiable factors in the death (defined as those which, by means of nationally or locally achievable interventions, could be modified to reduce the risk of future child deaths.)
	Details of the reasons why deaths were assessed as preventable or having modifiable factors are not collected centrally, therefore data on the number of deaths where lack of access to medical records was a factor are not available.
	
		
			 Number of child(1) death reviews which have been completed on behalf of Local Safeguarding Children Boards in the year ending 31 March(2) 
			  2009(3,4,5) 2010(3,4,5) 2011(6,7) 2012(6) 
			 Total reviews 1,998 3,446 4,061 4,012 
			 Which were assessed as preventable 108 148 — — 
			 Which were assessed as not being preventable 1,890 3,298 — — 
			 Which were assessed as having modifiable factors — — 800 784 
			 Which were assessed as not having modifiable factors — — 3,261 3,228 
			 (1 )A child for these purposes is defined as a child aged 0 up to 18 years, excluding still births. (2) Not all child deaths which occur each year will have their child death review completed by the 31 March. This is mainly because it may take a number of months to gather sufficient information to fully review a child's death. (3) The child death review process was introduced in April 2008, so data collected in the year ending 31 March 2009 and 2010 represent the first two years of this data collection. Please note that the number of reviews which were completed and the number of-deaths which were assessed as preventable in these two years may have been influenced by the issues which panels encountered as they introduced the process of reviewing child deaths. There may also be deaths which occurred in the year ending 31 March 2009 or early in the year ending 31 March 2010 which panels have either reviewed in less depth or felt unable to review as little data were available, which are not included in the tables above. (4) There may be additional deaths which were fully reviewed by a CDOP other than the CDOP where the child was normally resident which are not included in these figures. (5) One LSCB included child death reviews which had been completed in April 2009 in the data provided for the year ending 31 March 2009; therefore there are a small number of children included in both. (6 )These figures include reviews of child deaths which were completed where the child was not normally resident in the CDOP area. (7) One CDOP was unable to provide data which were consistent with the requirements of the data collection. However they estimate that the number of reviews reported above as being completed by 31 March 2011 is approximately correct.

Children: Protection

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children are on the at-risk register in each local authority in England.

Edward Timpson: holding answer 12 March 2013
	The number of children who were the subject of a child protection plan at 31 March 2012 in each local authority in England are shown in the table.
	The latest figures on children who were the subject of a child protection plan were published in Statistical First Release (SFR) 27/2012 'Characteristics of Children in Need, in England, 2011-12', available at the following link:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/researchandstatistics/statistics/a00215043/
	
		
			 Number of children who were the subject of a child protection plan at 31 March 2012 by local authority in England 
			   Children who were the subject of a child protection plan at 31 March 2012 Rate of children who were the subject of a child protection plan at 31 March per 10,000 children 
			  England(1) 42,900 37.8 
			     
			  North East(1) 2,800 53.6 
			 841 Darlington 91 39.7 
			 840 Durham 455 45.4 
			 390 Gateshead 181 45.0 
			 805 Hartlepool 124 60.9 
			 806 Middlesbrough 254 80.0 
			 391 Newcastle upon Tyne 374 69.3 
			 392 North Tyneside 164 40.7 
			 929 Northumberland 205 33.4 
			 807 Redcar and Cleveland 163 58.7 
			 393 South Tyneside 155 52.4 
			 808 Stockton-on-Tees 273 64.6 
			 394 Sunderland 376 68.6 
			     
			  North West(1) 6,400 42.6 
			 889 Blackburn with Darwen 227 58.8 
			 890 Blackpool 301 104.2 
			 350 Bolton 236 36.5 
			 351 Bury 160 38.1 
			 895 Cheshire East 209 27.9 
			 896 Cheshire West and Chester 248 37.6 
			 909 Cumbria 350 36.6 
			 876 Halton 83 29.4 
			 340 Knowsley 157 48.0 
			 888 Lancashire 546 22.5 
			 341 Liverpool 448 50.4 
			 352 Manchester 631 58.2 
			 353 Oldham 317 56.1 
			 354 Rochdale 229 45.2 
			 355 Salford 330 65.0 
			 343 Sefton 248 45.8 
			 342 St Helens 177 48.7 
			 356 Stockport 262 43.3 
			 357 Tameside 235 48.5 
			 358 Trafford 186 35.9 
			 877 Warrington 170 38.6 
			 359 Wigan 276 40.6 
			 344 Wirral 372 55.0 
			     
			  Yorkshire and the Humber(1) 4,800 42.1 
			 370 Barnsley 188 38.5 
			 380 Bradford 390 28.6 
			 381 Calderdale 213 47.0 
			 371 Doncaster 406 62.3 
		
	
	
		
			 811 East Riding of Yorkshire 199 31.1 
			 810 Kingston upon Hull, City of 284 51.9 
			 382 Kirklees 376 38.8 
			 383 Leeds 890 57.5 
			 812 North East Lincolnshire 88 25.6 
			 813 North Lincolnshire 72 20.3 
			 815 North Yorkshire 436 36.7 
			 372 Rotherham 411 73.3 
			 373 Sheffield 293 25.9 
			 384 Wakefield 344 50.3 
			 816 York 162 45.1 
			     
			  East Midlands(1) 3,500 36.4 
			 831 Derby 228 40.0 
			 830 Derbyshire 552 35.3 
			 856 Leicester 426 54.7 
			 855 Leicestershire 524 39.1 
			 925 Lincolnshire 238 17.1 
			 928 Northamptonshire 475 30.4 
			 892 Nottingham 296 47.4 
			 891 Nottinghamshire 720 44.4 
			 857 Rutland 14 17.4 
			     
			  West Midlands(1) 5,100 41.4 
			 330 Birmingham 1,271 46.3 
			 331 Coventry 423 59.9 
			 332 Dudley 215 31.8 
			 884 Herefordshire 146 40.7 
			 333 Sandwell 329 44.1 
			 893 Shropshire 180 29.5 
			 334 Solihull 215 47.8 
			 860 Staffordshire 411 24.0 
			 861 Stoke-on-Trent 282 51.7 
			 894 Telford and Wrekin 221 56.8 
			 335 Walsall 229 36.2 
			 937 Warwickshire 534 47.8 
			 336 Wolverhampton 217 38.6 
			 885 Worcestershire 456 39.8 
			     
			  East of England(1) 3,700 29.2 
			 822 Bedford Borough 151 42.2 
			 823 Central Bedfordshire 227 40.3 
			 873 Cambridgeshire 247 19.3 
			 881 Essex 773 26.2 
			 919 Hertfordshire 535 21.1 
			 821 Luton 259 49.6 
			 926 Norfolk 531 32.2 
			 874 Peterborough 181 41.1 
			 882 Southend-on-Sea 109 29.1 
			 935 Suffolk 496 32.8 
			 883 Thurrock 165 42.9 
		
	
	
		
			  London(1) 6,500 35.7 
			     
			  Inner London(1) 2,700 40.6 
			 202 Camden 221 56.7 
			 201 City of London 7 102.3 
			 204 Hackney 189 33.5 
			 205 Hammersmith and Fulham 133 40.8 
			 309 Haringey 284 49.3 
			 206 Islington 141 38.8 
			 207 Kensington and Chelsea 79 29.6 
			 208 Lambeth 309 51.1 
			 209 Lewisham 198 31.1 
			 316 Newham(2) (3)— (3)— 
			 210 Southwark 273 46.2 
			 211 Tower Hamlets 276 49.8 
			 212 Wandsworth 196 35.1 
			 213 Westminster 97 26.9 
			     
			  Outer London(1) 3,800 33.0 
			 301 Barking and Dagenham 227 42.2 
			 302 Barnet 258 31.0 
			 303 Bexley 113 20.8 
			 304 Brent 148 21.0 
			 305 Bromley 188 27.4 
			 306 Croydon 288 32.3 
			 307 Ealing 290 37.8 
			 308 Enfield 234 29.7 
			 203 Greenwich 378 61.5 
			 310 Harrow 129 23.6 
			 311 Havering(2) (3)— (3)— 
			 312 Hillingdon 346 53.7 
			 313 Hounslow 216 37.5 
			 314 Kingston upon Thames 91 26.9 
			 315 Merton 173 39.8 
			 317 Redbridge 141 19.9 
			 318 Richmond upon Thames 46 11.3 
			 319 Sutton 173 40.0 
			 320 Waltham Forest 184 29.9 
			     
			  South East(1) 6,300 33.7 
			 867 Bracknell Forest 82 30.8 
			 846 Brighton and Hove 308 61.7 
			 825 Buckinghamshire 362 31.3 
			 845 East Sussex 674 64.6 
			 850 Hampshire 795 28.4 
			 921 Isle of Wight 51 19.5 
			 886 Kent 953 29.5 
			 887 Medway 346 56.8 
			 826 Milton Keynes 55 8.9 
			 931 Oxfordshire 364 26.4 
			 851 Portsmouth 180 42.4 
			 870 Reading 194 58.1 
			 871 Slough 209 55.9 
			 852 Southampton 269 58.2 
		
	
	
		
			 936 Surrey 794 32.1 
			 869 West Berkshire 78 22.0 
			 938 West Sussex 399 24.3 
			 868 Windsor and Maidenhead 93 28.5 
			 872 Wokingham 66 18.6 
			     
			  South West(1) 3,800 36.3 
			 800 Bath and North East Somerset 70 20.8 
			 837 Bournemouth 185 58.1 
			 801 Bristol, City of 448 51.1 
			 908 Cornwall 408 39.8 
			 878 Devon 404 28.7 
			 835 Dorset 322 41.5 
			 916 Gloucestershire 400 32.7 
			 420 Isles of Scilly 0 0.0 
			 802 North Somerset 118 28.4 
			 879 Plymouth 288 56.6 
			 836 Poole 127 43.5 
			 933 Somerset 282 25.9 
			 803 South Gloucestershire 225 39.5 
			 866 Swindon 116 24.9 
			 880 Torbay 285 114.8 
			 865 Wiltshire 169 16.3 
			 (1 )The total figures for England and regional totals include estimates for missing data and are rounded to the nearest 100. Sub totals may not add up to the England total and regional totals due to rounding. (2) Newham and Havering did not make a CIN return in 2011-12. (3) No data available. Source: 2011-12 Children in Need census

Children: Protection

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to publish the final version of the revised Working Together Guidance.

Edward Timpson: holding answer 14 March 2013
	We have been carefully reflecting on the feedback received through the consultation on the revised ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ and have continued to work with interested parties to develop the guidance.
	‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ was published on 22 March 2013 and can be found on the DFE website:
	https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/standard/publicationDetail/Page1/DFE-00030-2013.
	Copies of this guidance will be placed in the House Libraries.

Children: Protection

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children are the subject of a child protection plan in each local authority in the London region.

Edward Timpson: The numbers of children who were the subject of a child protection plan at 31 March 2012 in each local authority in London are shown in the following table.
	The latest figures on children who were the subject of a child protection plan were published in Statistical First Release (SFR) 27/2012 ‘Characteristics of children in need in England: year ending March 2012’, available at the following link:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/researchandstatistics/statistics/a00215043/
	Copies of this document will be placed in the House Libraries
	
		
			 Numbers of children who were the subject of a child protection plan at 31 March 2012 by local authority in London 
			   Children who were the subject of a child protection plan at 31 March 2012 Rate of children who were the subject of a child protection plan at 31 March per 10,000 children 
			  London(1) 6,500 35.7 
			  Inner London(1) 2,700 40.6 
			     
			 202 Camden 221 56.7 
			 201 City of London 7 102.3 
			 204 Hackney 189 33.5 
			 205 Hammersmith and Fulham 133 40.8 
			 309 Haringey 284 49.3 
			 206 Islington 141 38.8 
			 207 Kensington and Chelsea 79 29.6 
			 208 Lambeth 309 51.1 
			 209 Lewisham 198 31.1 
			 316 Newham(2) (3)— (3)— 
			 210 Southwark 273 46.2 
			 211 Tower Hamlets 276 49.8 
			 212 Wandsworth 196 35.1 
			 213 Westminster 97 26.9 
			     
			  Outer London(1) 3,800 33.0 
			     
			 301 Barking and Dagenham 227 42.2 
			 302 Barnet 258 31.0 
			 303 Bexley 113 20.8 
			 304 Brent 148 21.0 
			 305 Bromley 188 27.4 
			 306 Croydon 288 32.3 
			 307 Ealing 290 37.8 
			 308 Enfield 234 29.7 
			 203 Greenwich 378 61.5 
			 310 Harrow 129 23.6 
			 311 Havering(2) (3)— (3)— 
			 312 Hillingdon 346 53.7 
			 313 Hounslow 216 37.5 
			 314 Kingston upon Thames 91 26.9 
			 315 Merton 173 39,8 
			 317 Redbridge 141 19.9 
			 318 Richmond upon Thames 46 11.3 
			 319 Sutton 173 40.0 
			 320 Waltham Forest 184 29.9 
			 (1) The regional totals include estimates for missing data and are rounded to the nearest 100. Sub totals may not add up to regional totals due to rounding. (2) Newham and Havering did not make a CIN return in 2011-12. (3) No data available. Source: 2011-12 Children in Need census

Children: Speech and Language Disorders

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Education with reference to the Better Communication Research Programme: Improving provision for children and young people with speech, language and communication needs report commissioned by his Department and published in December 2012, how he intends to implement the recommendation that all children are entitled to effective teaching to support speech, language and communication development.

Edward Timpson: It is up to schools to decide on the most effective ways of teaching children with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN). The Department for Education has funded the development of online resources for teachers to support them in this.
	The reports from the Better Communication Research Programme provides useful information to those who commission services for children with SLCN and those who provide them, including schools. They evaluate effective practices in promoting the best use of resources and better value for money and provide useful information on ways to improve the identification of SLCN, ensuring children and young people receive the right support based on individual need. The practical tools developed as part of the research programme, for example a classroom communication tool for teachers and a template for commissioners to evaluate the effectiveness of particular interventions, will be an asset to practitioners and commissioners in improving their services. Funding from the Department for Education for The Communication Trust is supporting the dissemination of the research to a wide range of audiences.

Curriculum

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what criteria he is using to determine what to include in the basic curriculum in respect of his Department's consultation on the National Curriculum draft programmes of study.

Elizabeth Truss: The basic curriculum is legally defined in section 80 of the Education Act 2002 and sets out the curriculum that maintained schools should provide to pupils aged five to 16. It includes the subjects in the National Curriculum, religious education, and—for secondary schools—sex and relationship education. We have no plans to make any changes to this definition.

Education Maintenance Allowance: Barrow in Furness

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many students in Barrow and Furness constituency received educational maintenance allowance payments in 2010-11; and how many students were in each payment band.

David Laws: Information on education maintenance allowance (EMA) payments is not available at parliamentary constituency level as it is recorded centrally by local authority area. During the 2010/11 academic year, 5,125 students in the Cumbria local authority area received education maintenance allowance payments. 409 students were assessed as being in the £10 payment band; 483 were in the £20 payment band and 4,233 were in the £30 payment band.

Free School Meals

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to ensure that children living in poverty are able to receive free school meals.

David Laws: The Government recognises the benefits of healthy school meals and is committed to continuing to provide free school meals to those pupils who need them most. Our priority is to make sure that the most disadvantaged children are able to get a nutritious meal.
	We are working to encourage all families who meet the criteria to register for free school meals. We want disadvantaged children to benefit from a nutritious meal, and their schools to be able to receive pupil premium funding to help raise disadvantaged pupils' attainment.
	Free school meals are not compulsory and there are many reasons why a family may choose not to claim a free school meal to which they are entitled. The fear of being stigmatised can prevent many children from taking a free school meal. We have however made progress in addressing this: for example, many schools now have cashless systems and other methods to ensure that it is not obvious which pupils are receiving a free school meal. The Department for Education's eligibility checking system, used by local authorities, has also made it much easier and quicker to check anonymously which families are entitled to free school meals. National free school meal take-up increased by 60,000 between 2010 and 2012.
	The move to universal credit means that we need to introduce new criteria, but these will not reduce the number of children eligible for free school meals.

Free School Meals

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to reduce any social stigma attached to those children claiming free school meals.

David Laws: holding answer 25 March 2013
	There are many reasons why some pupils or parents decide not to claim the free school meal to which they are entitled. The Department encourages all schools to take any appropriate action to reduce the stigma which can be associated with free school meals, and to encourage all those who are eligible to apply.
	The Children's Food Trust has produced a 'Free School Meals Matter Toolkit' which provides schools with information and advice to help them to ensure that all pupils entitled to free school meals register for, and take, the meal.
	The Department's online Eligibility Checking Service enables parents to apply for school meals without having to give the school information about their income from benefits or earnings. We are encouraging local authorities to increase their use of this resource to encourage more parents to apply online.
	A number of schools and local authorities have put in place cashless payment systems which helps to ensure that those children who are receiving free school meals cannot be identified.

Free School Meals

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which recipients of universal credit will qualify for free school meals.

David Laws: We are currently considering proposals for new eligibility criteria for free school meals under universal credit. We are working very closely with other Departments, including the Cabinet Office and the Department for Work and Pensions, to establish free school meals criteria under universal credit, while ensuring that free lunches continue to be available to the families who need them most.

Free School Meals

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to publish a consultation document on delivering free school meals through universal credit.

David Laws: We will allow good time to enable schools, local authorities and children’s charities to comment on our proposals before we introduce new eligibility criteria.

Free School Meals: Barnsley

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many pupils in Barnsley Central constituency are in receipt of free school meals.

David Laws: Information on the number of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals in Barnsley Central constituency, and comparable information for South Yorkshire and England, is shown in the following tables.
	The latest published information on free school meal eligibility is available in the ‘Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics, January 2012’ Statistical First Release.
	
		
			 Maintained nursery, state-funded primary, state-funded secondary, special schools and pupil referral units(1,2,3,4): Number and percentage of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals(5,6,7), January 2012, Barnsley Central constituency, South Yorkshire and England 
			  Maintained nursery and state-funded primary schools(1,2) State-funded secondary schools(1,3) Special schools(4) 
			  No. on roll(5,6) No. of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals(5,6) % of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals No. on roll(5,6) No. of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals(5,6) % of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals No. on roll(5,6) Number of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals(5,6) % of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals 
			 England 3,947,650 760,910 19.3 2,809,815 449,485 16.0 80,505 30,170 37.5 
			           
		
	
	
		
			 South Yorkshire(8) 100,439 22,941 22.8 72,102 13,055 18.1 1,973 859 43.5 
			 Barnsley local authority 17,408 4,477 25.7 11,821 2,411 20.4 251 141 56.2 
			 Doncaster local authority 23,212 5,518 23.8 16,484 2,913 17.7 438 174 39.7 
			 Rotherham local authority 20,791 4,341 20.9 16,881 2,843 16.8 478 196 41.0 
			 Sheffield local authority 39,028 8,605 22.0 26,916 4,888 18.2 806 348 43.2 
			           
			 Barnsley Central constituency 6,751 1,745 25.8 4,821 1,073 22.3 251 141 56.2 
		
	
	
		
			  Pupil referral units Total(7) 
			  No. on roll(5,6) No. of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals(5,6) % of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals No. on roll(5,6) No. of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals(5,6) % of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals 
			 England 13.235 4,855 36.7 6,851,205 1,245,420 18.2 
			        
			 South Yorkshire(8) 409 192 46.9 174,925 37,045 21.2 
			 Barnsley local authority 82 41 50.0 29,560 7,070 23.9 
			 Doncaster local authority 131 61 46.6 40,265 8,665 21.5 
			 Rotherham local authority 42 16 38.1 38,190 7,395 19.4 
			 Sheffield local authority 154 74 48.1 66,905 13,915 20.8 
			        
			 Barnsley Central constituency 82 41 50.0 11,905 3,000 25.2 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes all primary academies, including free schools. (3) Includes city technology colleges and all secondary academies, including free schools. (4 )Includes maintained special schools, special academies and non-maintained special schools, excludes general hospital schools. (5) Includes pupils who are sole or dual main registrations. Includes boarders. In pupil referral units includes pupils registered with other providers and further education colleges. (6) Pupils who have full time attendance and are aged 15 or under, or pupils who have part lime attendance and are aged between five and 15. (7) Includes maintained nursery, state-funded primary, state-funded secondary, special schools, and pupil referral units. Excludes pupils in alternative provision as full- and part-time status is not collected. (8) South Yorkshire consists of Barnsley, Doncaster. Rotherham and Sheffield local authorities. Note: National and total numbers have been rounded to the nearest five. Source: School Census

GCE A-level

Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what information his Department holds on (a) the proportion of young people entering for A Levels and (b) attainment at A Level by young people from different ethnic backgrounds.

Elizabeth Truss: The Department holds information on the number of students entering and achieving A-levels in state-funded schools and further education sector colleges by ethnicity. The following table shows the number and percentage of pupils entering at least one
	A-level and, of these, those achieving three or more A*-E grades and those achieving three or more A*-A grades.
	
		
			 Number and percentage of students(1) entering at least one A-level(2) in 2011/12 and those achieving three or more A-levels (at grades A*-E) and three or more A*-A grades, by ethnicity(3), Year: 2011/12(4), Coverage: England, state-funded schools (including academies and CTCs) and FE sector colleges 
			  Entering at least one A-level(2) Of those students entering at least one A-level, those achieving three or more A*-E grades Of those students entering at least one A-level, those achieving three or more A*-A grades 
			  Number Percentage(5) Number Percentage Number Percentage 
			 Total(3) 227,508 65.4 171,453 75.4 22,758 10.0 
			 White 178,140 65.5 135,424 76.0 18,182 10.2 
			 Mixed 7,717 68.1 5,869 76.1 853 11.1 
			 Asian 22,321 72.5 16,497 73.9 2,138 9.6 
			 Black 9,875 60.5 6,872 69.6 348 3.5 
			 Chinese 2,087 89.1 1,750 83.9 561 26.9 
			 (1) Students aged 16-18 at the start of the 2011/12 academic year attending state-funded schools (including academies and CTCs) and FE sector colleges. (2) Includes GCE A-level, Applied A-level and Double Award A-levels. (3) Includes students of any other ethnic group; also those students for whom ethnicity was not obtained, refused, or could not be determined. (4) Figures are based on revised data. (5) Percentages based on students aged 16-18 at the start of the 2011/12 academic year attending state-funded schools (including academies and CTCs) and FE sector colleges. Source: National Pupil Database (revised data).

GCE AS-level

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the oral statement of 23 January 2013, Official Report, column 317, what the source was of the statistic on the proportion of universities using AS levels when considering which candidates to make offers to.

Elizabeth Truss: The source of the statistic is the impact assessment of A level reforms commissioned by Ofqual and published in November 2012. The research found that around three quarters of the higher education institutions with whom the researchers spoke based their selection decisions on predicted A level grades. The research is available on the Ofqual website.

Leave

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many officials in (a) his Department and (b) each of its agencies and non-departmental public bodies qualify for privilege days; and what the total cost to the public purse was of the number of privilege days utilised each year by such officials.

Elizabeth Truss: All staff on the Department's payroll qualify for one day's leave for the Queen's birthday and a further 1.5 days in addition to their annual leave entitlement and public holidays. This is consistent with most other Government Departments and is under review as part of a programme of Civil Service Reform.
	The annual cost of this will vary from year to year according to the numbers and grades of staff in any given period.
	The cost for 2012 has been calculated as £522,194 for the Queen's Birthday and £783,290 for the further 1.5 days, giving a total cost of £1,305,484.

Local Safeguarding Children Boards

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what the status will be of the new national panel of independent experts set up to provide advice to local safeguarding children boards; and to whom it will be responsible;
	(2)  who will sit on the new national panel of independent experts to provide advice to local safeguarding children boards; and whether it will be in place to coincide with the new Working Together guidance due to come into effect from 15 April 2013.

Edward Timpson: The new national panel of independent experts on Serious Case Reviews will act in an advisory capacity to LSCB Chairs. The panel's members will be appointed by the Secretary of State but will work independently of Government: The panel will not be a statutory body but the new statutory guidance ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children (2013)’:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/safeguardingchildren/protection/a00210235/consultation
	sets out its role and states that local safeguarding children boards should have regard to its advice. A copy of this document will be placed in the House Libraries.
	The panel will be made up of individuals who are experts in their own fields and will be helpful to LSCB Chairs as they make decisions about commissioning and publishing SCRs. We do not expect the panel to be fully operational by 15 April when ‘Working Together’ comes into effect. We do, however, expect to be able to announce the names of the panel members shortly and we will confirm to LSCBs when and how they should begin to provide information to the panel.

Mobile Phones: Children

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent discussions he has had with mobile device application developers on applications available to buy in the UK which are aimed at children and allow in-app purchases.

Edward Timpson: Through the UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS), Ministers have put in place a series of sector-based project groups to address the availability and take-up of parental controls on internet-enabled devices. We have seen a number of manufacturers such as BlackBerry and Apple respond by developing systems that can allow parents to restrict children from downloading or using specific apps, including those that allow in-app purchases. In addition we have seen the development of similar tools with this functionality by third parties such as Vodafone and their Guardian parental control software.

Official Engagements

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education with reference to paragraph 10.17 of the Ministerial Code, whether he has been accompanied by his spouse or partner on official duties on any occasion when the expenses relating to his spouse or partner were paid from public funds since May 2010; and what the cost of those expenses was on each occasion.

Elizabeth Truss: holding answer 19 March 2013
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's wife does not accompany him on his official duties.

Official Gifts

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he has (a) received and (b) retained any gifts given to him in his ministerial capacity since May 2010 that were (i) under the value of £140 and (ii) over the value of £140 but purchased by him in accordance with paragraph 7.22 of the Ministerial Code.

Elizabeth Truss: holding answer 19 March 2013
	The Department does not hold information regarding gifts of a value less than £140. Information about gifts received that are valued at more than £140 is available on the Department's website at:
	www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe/departmentalinformation/transparency/b0065263/ministers-quarterly-returns
	This information is published on a quarterly basis. Information for the period from September 2012 to December 2012 is currently being collated and will be published in due course.

Orphans: Education

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what financial assistance his Department provides to orphans from the age of 16 to allow them to continue in full-time education.

Edward Timpson: 16 and 17-year-old young people who are in the care of local authorities, or who have left care, receive support to address their full range of needs, including education. They will receive support from a social worker, as well as from carers and a range of other professionals including teachers. Care leaver entitlements include:
	a 16-19 Bursary scheme which began at the start of the 2011/12 academic year. Care leavers, and also young people who are still looked after, are guaranteed a £1,200 bursary if they continue in full-time education;
	a setting up home allowance;
	a £2,000 Higher Education Bursary for all eligible care leavers;
	consistent personal support from a suitably qualified personal adviser up to age 21 or beyond if in education (this includes providing access to careers advice); and
	for care leavers up to age 25 who return to education or training, the support of a personal adviser while they are on their agreed course.

Pay

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  how much was paid to officials in (a) his Department and (b) its non-departmental public bodies in bonuses and other payments in addition to salary in each of the last five years; how many officials received such payments; and what the monetary value was of the 20 largest payments made in each year;
	(2)  what allowances and subsidies in addition to salary were available to officials in (a) his Department and (b) its non-departmental public bodies in each of the last five years; and what the monetary value was of such payments and allowances in each such year.

David Laws: We use a non-consolidated (non pensionable) amount of our pay bill to reward exceptional performance. The following table shows the amounts paid with respect to non-consolidated performance related pay in each of the last five financial years for the current Department for Education and its predecessor, the Department for Children, Schools and Families. The top 20 of these awards also form the 20 largest payments made in each of the last five years.
	
		
			 Performance year 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 
			 Financial year of the award 2008/09 2009-10 2010/11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Non consolidated performance related pay by total (rounded) (£ million) 2 2 2 1.25 1.5 
			 Number of awards 1,405 1,434 1,381 651 892 
			 Highest award paid (£) 25,000 15,000 15,000 10,000 12,500 
			 Top 20 awards range (£) 10,500-25,000 10,000-15,000 8,000-10,000 8,000-10,000 8,100-12,500 
			 Note: Awards paid in each financial year relate to the performance of the previous year. Prior to 2011/12 around 50% of staff at Grade 6 and below received a full or half performance award as part of the 2008-10 departmental pay deal and 65% of the senior civil service received a performance award as part of central Cabinet Office arrangements. From 2011/12 onwards, 25% of all staff received a performance award and the increased amount paid in 2012/13 reflects an increase in the Department's size. 
		
	
	The Department is able to pay a range of allowances to staff to enable delivery of departmental business and to recognise and retain specific skills. This includes payments to acknowledge staff who undertake temporary periods of additional duties and payments to enable recruitment for posts which are hard to fill, or require particular specialisms.
	The following table shows the Department's policies for its key allowances in terms of the amounts paid.
	
		
			  Policies 
			 Temporary Duties Allowance 10% of the current salary or the difference between salary and the pay band minima of the higher pay band. 
			 Supervisory Allowance 10% of the current salary when additional duties or responsibilities are given within the substantive grade. 
			 Recruitment or Retention additions Range from a maximum of £2,000 up to £5,000 depending on grade for staff below the senior civil service and paid to recognise hard to fill posts. 
		
	
	The Department's spend on allowances does not vary greatly from year to year unless there are big changes in headcount. Spend for each of the financial years from 2007/08 to 2011/12 is around £300,000 each year.
	The Department also makes a number of non cash payments to eligible staff in the form of child care vouchers. These can be used by staff to pay for registered and approved child care and the value varies depending on the age of the child and location. The amounts range between £39 to £200 for staff out of London; £45 to £230 for London staff; and £90 to £460 for staff with children with special needs. The amount spent on these vouchers was £390,000 in 2007/08, £380,000 in 2008/09, £600,000 for 2009/10 (including payments for staff in the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills), £460,000 for 2010/11 and £660,000 2011/12.
	Information on the public servants employed in the Department's NDPBs is a matter for them and is not held centrally.

Photographs

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many posters and displays there are in the offices of his Department and its agencies displaying the names and photographs of Ministers; and how much his Department has spent on producing such posters and displays since May 2010.

David Laws: The names and photographs of current Ministers, as well as former Secretaries of State since the formation of the Department for Education, are displayed in the reception area of our London headquarters. This display is produced in-house by civil servants at minimal cost.

Primary Education: Class Sizes

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what guidance his Department gives on the maximum acceptable class size at Key Stage 1.

David Laws: The School Admissions (Infant Class Size) (England) (Regulations) 2012 and School Admissions Code is available here:
	www.education.gov.uk/schools/adminandfinance/schooladmissions/a00195/current-codes-and-regulations

Private Education

Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how he is ensuring that independent schools have the ability to provide scholarships and bursaries to talented students who cannot afford the fees in support of his policies of increasing social mobility.

David Laws: Independent schools make their own decisions on admitting pupils and considering whether they should offer bursaries or scholarships. Many independent schools are registered charities and choose to offer financial assistance to some pupils through considering how they offer public benefit. Children who have outstanding potential to train for a career in dance or music are able to apply for means tested support through the Department's Music and Dance Scheme.

Procurement

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many private companies have been awarded contracts since May 2010; what the monetary value was of such contracts; and in which areas of his Department they are working.

David Laws: The Department does not hold a central repository of all contracts from May 2010 and to provide the information would incur disproportionate costs.
	However, contracts over £10,000 are held on the Contracts Finder website which has been in operation since the beginning of 2011. The web address is:
	www.contractsfinder.co.uk

Pupils: Per Capita Costs

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the average level of funding per school child place for children between the ages of four and 16 is in the (a) Dudley metropolitan council area, (b) Walsall council area, (c) Wolverhampton city council area and (d) Staffordshire county council area in 2012-13 to date.

David Laws: Each local authority receives dedicated schools grant (DSG) funding from the Department for Education. The DSG includes funding for pupils in early years provision as well as school age pupils, therefore it is not possible to provide an average level of funding for children solely between the ages of four and 16.
	In the 2012-13 financial year, the DSG guaranteed unit of funding for Dudley local authority is £4,895.46 per pupil and will be paid in relation to 46,908 pupils.
	In the 2012-13 financial year, the DSG guaranteed unit of funding for Walsall local authority is £5,131.27 per pupil and will be paid in relation to 42,370 pupils.
	In the 2012-13 financial year, the DSG guaranteed unit of funding for Wolverhampton local authority is £5,348.26 per pupil and will be paid in relation to 35,495 pupils.
	In the 2012-13 financial year, the DSG guaranteed unit of funding for Staffordshire local authority is £4,653.02 per pupil and will be paid in relation to 115,297 pupils.
	We are currently reforming the funding system so that it reflects the current needs of pupils and is more consistent across the country. We are committed to introducing a new national funding formula during the next spending review period.
	In addition to DSG funding, the Department for Education allocates pupil premium funding for pupils who are in receipt of free school meals (FSM) or who have been entitled to FSM in the past six years, for children in care who have been continuously looked after for six months and for Service children.
	In the 2012-13 financial year, pupils in Dudley local authority attracted £7.527 million of pupil premium funding in relation to 12,100 pupils.
	In the 2012-13 financial year, pupils in Walsall local authority attracted £9.125 million of pupil premium funding in relation to 14,660 pupils.
	In the 2012-13 financial year, pupils in Wolverhampton local authority attracted £8.2 million of pupil premium funding in relation to 13,170 pupils.
	In the 2012-13 financial year, pupils in Staffordshire local authority attracted £14.317 million of pupil premium funding in relation to 23,260 pupils.

Recruitment

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many officials were recruited to (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies in each of the last five years.

Elizabeth Truss: The information is as follows:
	
		
			 Recruits 
			  Number 
			 2008 273 
			 2009 342 
			 2010 150 
			 2011 380 
			 2012 303 
		
	
	In March 2010 the Department had 15 advisory and Executive non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) and two non-ministerial departments. From April 2012, only five of the 17 remain. These are: two non-ministerial departments which receive funding direct from HMT—Ofsted and Ofqual; two Executive NDPBs—the Office of the Children's Commissioner (OCC) and the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (CAFCASS); and one advisory NDPB—the School Teachers Review Body.
	Four new Executive agencies have been established: the Standards and Testing Agency (in October 2011); the Education and Funding Agency; the Teaching Agency; and the National College for School Leadership (in April 2012). Overall the full-time equivalent staffing figure for the departmental family has reduced by more than 1,000 since 2008.
	Equivalent figures for the Department's arm's length bodies are not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

School Leaving

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many extra students he predicts will be in the education system in 2015 as a result of the raising of the school leaving age in 2015.

David Laws: We are committed to raising the age of compulsory participation in education or training to 18 in 2015. Young people will be able to participate through full-time education, an apprenticeship, or part-time study where they are undertaking full-time employment or volunteering.
	Our most recent data on young people's participation in education or training:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/researchandstatistics/statistics/allstatistics/a00210462/participation-in-education-training-employment-16-18
	takes into account significant revisions from ONS to population data following Census 2011. The revised participation rates mean that there is further to go to reach full participation. Copies of the Statistical First Release which includes this data will be placed in the House Libraries.
	Our lagged system of funding means that we will fund a place for every 16 to 19-year-old who enrols in education or training. In the academic year 2013/14, we plan to fund nearly 1,550,000 education and training places for 16 to 19-year-olds. The Education Funding Agency will publish participation planning assumptions for 2014/15 and 2015/16 prior to the start of each academic year.

School Leaving

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what preparations his Department has made for the increase in the number of students in 2015 due to the raising of the school leaving age.

David Laws: We will commence the necessary parts of the Education and Skills Act 2008 to introduce duties on young people to participate in education or training until the end of the academic year in which they turn 17 from summer 2013 and to their 18(th) birthday from summer 2015.
	Our lagged system of funding means that we will fund a place in education or training for every young person who enrols, including those additional 16 and 17-year-olds who participate in schools, colleges, apprenticeships and other training as a result of this new duty. Our planned budget for education and training places will increase slightly from a total of £7,335 million in 2012-13 to £7,430 million in 2013-14. The Education Funding Agency will publish planned budgets for future years prior to the start of each academic year.
	Latest ONS population projections suggest that the overall population of 16 to 18-year-olds will reduce by around 40,000 between the end of 2013 and the end of 2015, which means that participation rates can increase without putting as much additional pressure on numbers of students.
	We are taking a range of further action to prepare for the raising of the participation age. We have recently published Statutory Guidance for local authorities setting out their role in increasing young people's participation:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/youngpeople/participation/g00222993/stat-guide-young-people-edu-employ-train
	Copies of this guidance will be placed in the House Libraries.
	We are introducing new 16-19 Study Programmes from September, increasing the quality of apprenticeships and developing a new traineeships programme to help young people prepare for apprenticeships and other sustainable employment. Our £180 million 16-19 Bursary Fund provides targeted financial support to help young people overcome financial barriers to participation and we are providing additional support to 16 to 17-year-olds who are NEET and have low qualifications through the Youth Contract.

Sick Leave

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many officials in (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies have had (i) fewer than five days, (ii) five to 10 days, (iii) 10 to 15 days, (iv) 15 to 20 days, (v) 20 to 25 days, (vi) 25 to 50 days, (vii) 50 to 75 days, (viii) 75 to 100 days, (ix) 100 to 150 days, (x) 150 to 200 days, (xi) more than 200 days, (xii) more than three months, (xiii) more than six months and (xiv) more than one year on paid sick leave (A) consecutively and (B) in total in each of the last five years.

Elizabeth Truss: The figures within the following table refer to DfE staff. The Department does not have data for non-departmental public bodies.
	
		
			 Days in total 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 
			 Less than 5 3,475 2,596 2,472 2,292 3,041 
			 5 to 10 387 320 229 188 270 
			 10 to 15 139 105 84 80 115 
			 15 to 20 81 54 36 31 62 
			 20 to 25 43 34 25 35 39 
			 25 to 50 107 86 72 57 21 
			 50 to 75 62 30 33 18 26 
			 75 to 100 26 19 13 7 13 
			 100 to 150 17 15 10 9 11 
			 150 to 200 5 5 4 1 2 
			 200 + 5 3 5 4 1 
			 More than 3 months 37 32 62 33 24 
			 More than 6 months 10 6 17 9 11 
			 More than 12 months 0 0 4 2 1

Special Educational Needs: Bury St Edmunds

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children in Bury St Edmunds constituency received statements of special educational needs in each of the last three years.

David Laws: Information on children receiving newly made statements is not available at parliamentary constituency level.
	Information on the number and percentage of pupils with statements of special education needs in the Bury St Edmunds parliamentary constituency is shown in the table.
	Information on the number of pupils with statements of special educational needs as at January 2012 is published in the Statistical First Release 'Special Educational Needs in England, January 2012' available at
	http://www.education.gov.uk/researchandstatistics/statistics/allstatistics/a00210489/sen-england-jan-2012
	Copies of this report will be placed in the House Libraries.

Special Guardianship Orders

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many special guardianship orders were made (a) in total, (b) to a relative or friend connected to the child and (c) to an unrelated foster carer in (i) 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2012 and (ii) each of the last 10 years in (A) England and Wales and (B) each region.

Edward Timpson: holding answer 26 March 2013
	Special guardianship orders were introduced in December 2005. Therefore information is only available for year ending 31 March 2006 and later.
	The Department collects information on the number of children looked after who cease to be looked after due to the granting of a special guardianship order. Information is collected on whether the order was granted to a former foster carer or to a carer other than a former foster carer. Information on whether the special guardianship order was granted to a relative or friend is not available.
	The following tables shows the number of children who have ceased to be looked after following the granting of a special guardianship order for the year ending 31 March 2006 to 2012. Please note the figures in this table relate to England only. Information for Wales can be accessed at:
	https://statswales.wales.gov.uk/Catalogue/Health-and-Social-Care/Social-Services/Childrens-Services/Children-Looked-After/EpisodesFinishingForChildrenLookedAfterDuringYearTo31March- by-LocalAuthority-ReasonForFinishing
	Information on all special guardianship orders made by the family courts (including in respect of children who are not, and have not been looked after) is published by the Ministry of Justice in their Court Statistics Quarterly publication, available at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/statistics/courts-and-sentencing/judicial-quarterly
	Information on special guardianship orders is available under the section covering family courts. The current family court data collection system has a facility to collect data on the applicant and the respondent’s relationship to the child in special guardianship cases but the system does not record information on who is named in the resulting court order. It is therefore not possible for the Ministry of Justice to tell how many special guardianship orders have been made which name someone other than a parent.
	Copies of these documents will be placed in the House Libraries.
	
		
			 Children who ceased to be looked after during the year ending 31 March due to the granting of a special guardianship order(1, 2, 3, 4), year ending 31 March 2006 to 2012, England 
			  2006(5) 2007 
			   Of which:  Of which: 
			  Number of children who ceased to be looked after due to the granting of a special guardianship order Special guardianship order made to former foster carers Special guardianship order made to carers other than former foster carers Number of children who ceased to be looked after due to the granting of a special guardianship order Special guardianship order made to former foster carers Special guardianship order made to carers other than former foster carers 
			 England 70 n/a n/a 750 500 260 
			 North East 10 n/a n/a 50 30 20 
			 North West 10 n/a n/a 130 90 40 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 10 n/a n/a 50 40 10 
			 East Midlands 0 n/a n/a 30 30 10 
			 West Midlands 0 n/a n/a 80 40 30 
			 East of England 0 n/a n/a 50 20 20 
			 London 30 n/a n/a 170 100 70 
			 South East 10 n/a n/a 130 100 40 
			 South West 0 n/a n/a 60 40 20 
		
	
	
		
			  2008 2009 
			   Of which:  Of which: 
			  Number of children who ceased to be looked after due to the granting of a special guardianship order Special guardianship order made to former foster carers Special guardianship order made to carers other than former foster carers Number of children who ceased to be looked after due to the granting of a special guardianship order Special guardianship order made to former foster carers Special guardianship order made to carers other than former foster carers 
			 England 1,130 770 360 1,240 810 430 
			 North East 70 50 30 80 40 40 
			 North West 220 180 40 230 190 50 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 80 60 20 100 80 20 
			 East Midlands 60 30 30 60 40 20 
			 West Midlands 90 60 30 100 70 30 
			 East of England 100 70 20 110 60 50 
			 London 270 150 110 300 170 130 
			 South East 180 120 60 170 120 60 
			 South West 60 40 30 90 50 40 
		
	
	
		
			  2010 2011 
			   Of which:  Of which: 
			  Number of children who ceased to be looked after due to the granting of a special guardianship order Special guardianship order made to former foster carers Special guardianship order made to carers other than former foster carers Number of children who ceased to be looked after due to the granting of a special guardianship order Special guardianship order made to former foster carers Special guardianship order made to carers other than former foster carers 
			 England 1,290 860 430 1,780 1,140 640 
			 North East 70 40 30 120 70 50 
			 North West 260 210 50 330 240 80 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 120 90 30 190 130 50 
			 East Midlands 70 50 20 100 80 30 
			 West Midlands 110 70 40 180 130 50 
			 East of England 110 60 50 180 100 8O 
			 London 270 150 120 310 160 150 
			 South East 180 140 40 270 170 100 
			 South West 100 60 50 100 60 50 
		
	
	
		
			  2012 
			   Of which: 
			  Number of children who ceased to be looked after due to the granting of a special guardianship order Special guardianship order made to former foster carers Special guardianship order made to carers other than former foster carers 
			 England 2,130 1,330 800 
			 North East 120 80 40 
			 North West 420 310 120 
		
	
	
		
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 200 130 70 
			 East Midlands 130 80 50 
			 West Midlands 200 150 50 
			 East of England 230 140 100 
			 London 370 170 200 
			 South East 340 220 120 
			 South West 120 60 60 
			 n/a = Not applicable. (1) Only the last occasion on which a child ceased to be looked after in the year has been counted. (2) Figures exclude children who were looked after under an agreed series of short term placements. (3) Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. Totals may therefore not appear to sum to constituent parts. (4) Special guardianship orders were introduced in December 2005, figures for 2006 only therefore reflect data for a period of three months only. (5) Data for special guardianship orders in 2006 cannot be disaggregated further. Source: SSDA903.

Staff

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what increase in staff there has been in the Academy Failures Unit of his Department in the last 18 months.

Elizabeth Truss: holding answer 18 February 2013
	Within the Department, Open Academies Performance Division has responsibility for monitoring the performance of academies. The division was established in September 2011 with 12.64 full-time equivalent staff. As at 1 April 2013, Open Academies Performance Division has 13.64 full-time equivalent staff.

Staff

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 22 March 2013, Official Report, columns 855-56W, on staff, for what reasons he cannot provide a breakdown of the responsibilities of safeguarding staff in his Department as at February 2013; and if he will provide the information for the latest period for which figures are available.

Edward Timpson: The Department now has confirmed work force numbers for February 2013. The responsibilities of safeguarding staff in February 2013 are as follows:
	
		
			 Responsibilities of safeguarding staff in February 2013 
			 Division FTE 
			 Child protection 19.4 
			 Child safeguarding 31.9 
			 Local improvement, intervention and workforce 32.7 
			 Director and support 2 
			 Total 86

Staff

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what responsibilities were covered by staff in the safeguarding department in (a) the latest period for which figures are available and (b) May 2010.

Edward Timpson: The Department now has confirmed work force numbers for February 2013. The responsibilities of safeguarding staff in February 2013 and May 2010 are as follows:
	
		
			 Responsibilities of safeguarding staff in February 2013 
			 Division FTE 
			 Child Protection 19.4 
			 Child Safeguarding 31.9 
			 Local improvement, intervention and Workforce 32.7 
			 Director and Support 2 
			 Total 86 
		
	
	
		
			 Responsibilities of safeguarding staff in May 2010 
			 Division FTE 
			 Child Safeguarding 17.40 
			 Child Safety Unit 20.00 
			 Group Leadership And Admin 9.00 
			 National Safeguarding Delivery Unit 15.80 
			 Safeguarding Operations 11.54 
			 Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 4.00 
			 Total 77.74

Teachers: Industrial Disputes

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the current (a) state of negotiations is and (b) areas of disagreement are between his Department and the National Union of Teachers and NASUWT.

David Laws: holding answer 21 March 2013
	We have met frequently with both the NUT and the NASUWT to discuss their concerns and will continue to do so. The Secretary of State for Education and the Minister of State for Schools have met with the NUT 13 times and with the NASUWT 22 times since the general election.
	While the NUT and NASUWT disputes are different and cover more than one issue, we understand the main common area of current disagreement centres around pay. Our pay reforms are based on recommendations made by the independent School Teachers' Review Body. These recommendations have been reached following a set process run by the Review Body which involves consultation with all teacher unions, head teacher unions and employer representative bodies. NUT and NASUWT contributed to that process but the STRB has to consider the views of all statutory consultees. The proposed changes to teachers' pay will give schools more freedom to decide how much they pay a teacher and how quickly pay progresses. We believe the best teachers should be rewarded, and our reforms will make it easier for schools to do so.
	We will continue discussions with the NUT and NASUWT with the aim of seeking a resolution to the current disputes.

Teachers: Training

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of expected final recruitment to initial teacher training in each subject and phase in the 2012-13 academic year.

David Laws: Table A shows the expected recruitment numbers to initial teacher training for each subject and phase in academic year 2012-13.
	
		
			 Table A—Recruitment to initial teacher training in academic year 2012-13 in England 
			 Subject Recruitment numbers for 2012/13 
			 English 2,240 
			 Mathematics 2,500 
			 Biology and general science 850 
			 Chemistry 1,170 
			 Physics (including physics with mathematics) 900 
			 Modern Languages 1,630 
			 Geography 650 
			 History 640 
			 Art and Design 370 
			 ICT 500 
			 Design and technology 700 
			 Music 380 
			 Physical education 1,040 
			 Religious education 470 
			 Business studies 190 
			 Citizenship 140 
			 Other 250 
			 Total—all secondary 14,620 
			   
			 Total—primary 20,760 
			   
			 Total—all subjects 35,380 
			 Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Not all training begins at the start of the academic year so the figures include an estimate of in-year starts. Source: Initial Teacher Training Trainee Number Census 2012/13

Telephone Services

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether his Department's customer service telephone lines are restricted to those beginning 0870.

David Laws: No central record of all telephone numbers in use by the Department and its agencies is held. A survey of telephone numbers in use by the Department and its agencies showed that the Department has no telephone lines beginning 0870.

Termination of Employment

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many officials in (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies have left that body due to (i) resignation, (ii) retirement, (iii) redundancy, (iv) transferral to another public sector post and (v) another reason in each of the last five years.

Elizabeth Truss: The Department for Education was established on 10 May 2010. Figures for the Department and its predecessor, the Department for Children Schools and Families, are set out in the table. The Department has made no redundancies during the period in question, but has funded a number of approved voluntary exits which are included in the table.
	
		
			 Number 
			 Reason 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 
			 Resignation 48 25 45 39 86 
			 Retirement 34 32 40 10 20 
			 Voluntary exits 94 22 222 43 182 
			 Transfer 72 95 119 51 96 
			 Other 24 33 56 72 41 
			 Total 272 207 482 215 425 
		
	
	Equivalent figures for the Department's arm's length bodies are not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Third Sector

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list all those organisations which have been successful in his Department’s recent grant awarding round for community and voluntary groups delivering services for children and young people; and how much has been awarded to each organisation.

Edward Timpson: Successful organisations who bid for the National Prospectus Grants Programme have been notified individually and are now in negotiation with the Department for Education regarding their grant funding agreements. A list of organisations and funding allocations will be made public once these negotiations have been finalised. Due to the local election period, we will be deferring any public announcement until after 2 May once the period of Purdah has ended.

Training

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many away days his Department has held since 2010; and what the cost was of each such event.

Elizabeth Truss: The Department has previously provided an answer to this question on 9 February 2012, Official Report, column 430W.
	Arrangements for away days are made locally. Details are not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. All staff are aware that events to bring staff together should be held in the most appropriate of our buildings and that refreshments are provided in exceptional circumstances.

Young People: Education

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many young people aged 17 are in full-time education or training as of 2013; and how many young people aged 18 are expected to be in full-time education or training at age 18 in 2015.

David Laws: Data on the number of young people participating in education, training and employment are published in our Statistical First Release (SFR) "Participation in Education, Training and Employment by 16-18 Year Olds in England" which is available at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/researchandstatistics/statistics/allstatistics/a00210462/participation-in-education-training-employment-16-18
	The latest published data are for end of 2011 and show there were 522,500 17-year-olds in full-time education or work-based learning. Data for end 2012 (relating to the 2012/13 academic year) will be published in June 2013.
	Our lagged system of funding means that we will fund a place for every 16 to 19-year-old who enrols in education or training. In the academic year 2013/14, we plan to fund nearly 1,550,000 education and training places for 16 to 19-year-olds. The Education Funding Agency will publish participation planning assumptions for 2014/15 and 2015/16 prior to the start of each academic year.

Young People: Mental Health

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will set out the arrangements in his Department for developing policy and providing advice to Ministers on children and young people's mental health, including the number of staff and their responsibilities, the directorate those staff are part of and when these arrangements were last reviewed and changed.

Edward Timpson: Policy on children and young people's mental health services is the responsibility of the Department of Health, which published the wider Government strategy, 'No Health Without Mental Health' in February 2011. In summer 2011 the overview of mental health policies in the Department for Education transferred to the special educational needs and disability division, to help to secure alignment with the reforms set out in the 'Support and Aspiration' Green Paper.
	However, a wide range of Departmental policies have elements which are relevant to mental health issues and aspects of the wider Government strategy, therefore a range of officials advise Ministers, drawing on support from Department of Health. The Department is currently restructuring to make better use of flexible deployment in policy work, allowing staff to develop expertise across broader policy areas and allow resource to be focused on specific priorities.

Youth Organisations: Business

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what funding his Department will provide to the United Futures Consortium after March 2013.

Edward Timpson: holding answer 21 March 2013
	As the hon. Gentleman is aware the Department holds a current grant agreement with the United Futures Consortium to scale up and improve business brokerage in the youth sector. The £320,000 grant has funded work that began in January 2012 and that will end, as was always intended, in April 2013.
	The Department for Education announced a new round of VCSE funding under the National Prospectus Grants Programme 2013-15 on 26 October 2012. The bidding exercise for this programme, which will offer up to £30 million a year in 2013-14 and 2014-15, closed on 30 November 2012 and was open to any VCS organisation which chose to bid. The Department is in the final stages of this exercise and we expect to announce the successful bidders shortly.

Youth Services

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what youth projects will be funded by his Department after April 2013.

Edward Timpson: holding answer 25 March 2013
	The Department for Education announced a new round of VCSE funding under the National Prospectus Grants Programme 2013-15 on 26 October 2012. One of the themes under which projected projects could apply related to the development of services to support improved outcomes for young people. The Department is in the final stages of this exercise and we expect to announce the successful bidders shortly.
	In addition, we are extending the funding allocated to the British Youth Council to support a range of activities relating to improving “youth voice”, including the management of the UK Youth Parliament and support for the National Scrutiny Group which scrutinises policy development. We expect to confirm details of the grant shortly, which will cover the two financial years 2013/14 and 2014/15.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

BBC

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with the BBC Trust on the parity of the BBC’s expenditure across regions.

Edward Vaizey: There have been no discussions with the BBC Trust on the parity of the BBC’s expenditure across the regions. The BBC is an independent body governed by the royal charter. Under the terms of the BBC’s charter and agreement, the BBC is operationally and editorially independent of Government and there is no provision for the Government to intervene in the corporation’s day-to-day operations. How the BBC allocates its funding, in meeting its objectives, is a matter for the BBC.
	In 2008, the BBC made the following commitments to growing regional production outside of London:
	That 50% of network spend will be made outside London by 2016;
	That 17% of network spend will come from the Nations by 2016; and
	That a proportion of network spend would be made in Scotland, equivalent to Scotland’s share of the UK population, with a comparable approach in relation to Wales and Northern Ireland.

Local Broadcasting: Midlands

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will discuss with the BBC Trust the petition of the Campaign for Regional Broadcasting Midlands on increasing network television and radio production by the BBC in that region.

Edward Vaizey: The BBC is an independent body governed by the royal charter. Under the terms of the BBC’s charter and agreement, the BBC is operationally and editorially independent of Government and there is no provision for the Government to intervene in the corporation’s day-to-day operations. How the BBC allocates its funding, in meeting its objectives, is a matter for the BBC. Therefore there are no planned discussions with the BBC Trust regarding the Campaign for Regional Broadcasting Midlands.
	The Midlands remains an important part of the BBC production landscape. In 2008, the BBC made the following commitments to growing regional production outside of London:
	That 50% of network spend will be made outside London by 2016;
	That 17% of network spend will come from the Nations by 2016; and
	That a proportion of network spend would be made in Scotland, equivalent to Scotland’s share of the UK population, with a comparable approach in relation to Wales and Northern Ireland.

Local Broadcasting: Midlands

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps the Government is taking to encourage local media and regional broadcasting in the Midlands.

Edward Vaizey: The Government has put in place a comprehensive framework for the development of local television, supported by funding from the BBC Trust. We expect the first of the 19 new local television services licensed by Ofcom to begin broadcasting by the end of 2013.
	Ofcom has awarded local digital service licences to operators Birmingham and Nottingham following a competitive process. The Birmingham licence was awarded to City TV Broadcasting on 6 November 2012, The Nottingham licence was awarded to Notts television on 20 November 2012. Both companies are currently in discussion with Comux, the multiplex licence holder to agree arrangements for transmission of services including firm launch dates for the start of services.
	Ofcom are currently seeking expressions of interest from potential bidders for 30 new areas identified by Ofcom as suitable for local television. These are set out in the following list:
	Aberdeen
	Ayr
	Bangor
	Barnstaple
	Basingstoke
	Bedford
	Bromsgrove
	Cambridge
	Carlisle
	Derry/Londonderry
	Dundee
	Guildford
	Hereford
	Inverness
	Kidderminster
	Limavady
	Luton
	Maidstone
	Malvern
	Middlesbrough
	Mold
	Plymouth
	Reading
	Salisbury
	Scarborough
	Stoke on Trent
	Stratford upon Avon
	Swansea
	Tonbridge
	York
	In addition to the locations listed above, Ofcom will consider advertising licences for further locations where it is possible to demonstrate technical feasibility and the existence of a local operator interested in holding the licence. If a local operator is interested in a location not listed above, it would need to agree a technical plan with Comux as the multiplex operator before Ofcom can consider advertising a licence for that area.

Mobile Applications: Children

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will estimate the number of apps available to buy in the UK that are aimed at children and feature in-app purchases.

Edward Vaizey: I have no plans to estimate how many of the over 100,000,000 apps now available are aimed at children and feature in-app purchasing. Rather DCMS efforts are focused on discussion with industry about the steps they should be taking to ensure that parents are properly informed about in-app purchasing and have easy access to the tools to block it where they choose to do so.

Museums and Galleries

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will draw attention of public galleries to the value of salon style hangs to ensure that the general public may enjoy the works of artists whose paintings are currently not on display.

Edward Vaizey: The Government does not dictate or influence public galleries or museums on the curation or display of their art.

Olympic Games 2012

Gerry Sutcliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether the exclusion to the Supplier Recognition Scheme for industrial lighting includes those who supplied entertainment lighting to the London 2012 games; and if she will make a statement.

Hugh Robertson: The excluded categories exist to protect the rights of worldwide Olympic sponsors, whose investment makes the games possible. The provision of lighting equipment and systems used within commercial, industrial and residential settings falls within one of these excluded categories. This includes lighting used by the entertainment industry.
	Companies whose supply includes lighting services, for example, installation and design, may be eligible and are encouraged to contact the British Olympic Association for further guidance.

Olympic Games 2012

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make it her policy that all companies and suppliers involved with the London 2012 Olympics shall be permitted to publicise that involvement; and if she will make a statement.

Hugh Robertson: Every London 2012 supplier played an important part in the success of the games and we recognise how vital it is for suppliers to be able to share their experiences when bidding for and working on future projects. In recognition of this, all suppliers are able to make factual statements around their involvement in the games, as set out in the marketing protocol which LOCOG published in 2007 and which was extended in 2010. This protocol enables all 2012 suppliers to make factual statements relating to their work on the games—by, for example, including references to their work in client lists and pitch and tender documents.
	In addition we have established, with the British Olympic Association (BOA) and with the agreement of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Supplier Recognition Scheme which the BOA manages. This is another first for London 2012—no such schemes have been set up following earlier games. The purpose of the new Recognition Scheme is to allow 2012 suppliers much greater scope to promote their involvement in the 2012 games, over and above the existing arrangements. Suppliers must meet the eligibility criteria of the scheme and some categories of business are excluded to protect the rights of worldwide Olympic sponsors whose investment makes the games possible. Excluded suppliers can continue to make factual statements about their involvement in the games. Suppliers wishing to undertake this activity for the first time should seek guidance from the BOA. The Recognition Scheme was launched on 27 January 2013 and as at 9 April, 537 licences had been approved, 118 applications had been declined and 44 were being processed.
	For companies who gain a licence under the new scheme, there is much greater scope to actively promote their involvement with the games, for example, at trade fairs in the UK and overseas, and by describing themselves on their website and elsewhere as a supplier of goods or services to the 2012 games. Licences are provided free of charge to eligible suppliers.
	Definitions of each of the excluded categories can be viewed in the section on the Supplier Recognition Scheme on the BOA website. I would encourage any supplier which is uncertain about whether they may be eligible for a licence under the new scheme to seek clarification from the BOA. The BOA takes decisions on individual applications on a case-by-case basis, taking account of whether the eligibility criteria are met, the nature of the goods or services provided and the nature of the core business of the supplier concerned.

Pay

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was paid to officials in (a) her Department and (b) its non-departmental public bodies in bonuses and other payments in addition to salary in each of the last five years; how many officials received such payments; and what the monetary value was of the 20 largest payments made in each year.

Hugh Robertson: DCMS makes bonus payments to its staff for two purposes: (a) special bonuses to reward outstanding contributions in particularly demanding tasks or situations; and (b) performance related bonuses to reward highly successful performance over a whole year. Awards were made in line with Cabinet Office principles and guidelines on performance-related pay.
	Such information that is available is shown in the following tables:
	
		
			 Financial year Number of staff awarded special bonuses and performance related bonuses 
			 2006-07 327 
			 2007-08 371 
			 2008-09 420 
			 2009-10 391 
			 2010-11 370 
			 2011-12 353 
		
	
	
		
			 Financial year Total all bonuses (£) 
			 2006-07 392,114 
			 2007-08 520,713 
			 2008-09 582,167 
			 2009-10 608,587 
			 2010-11 735,259 
			 2011-12 793,540 
		
	
	
		
			 Largest 20 bonuses of any type 
			 £ 
			  2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 1 14,000 13,000 35,000 49,500 187,500 197,500 
			 2 10,000 11,000 30,000 40,000 130,000 101,000 
			 3 10,000 10,000 15,000 12,500 20,000 22,000 
			 4 10,000 10,000 13,500 12,500 10,500 9,500 
			 5 8,250 10,000 13,500 12,500 10,500 9,500 
			 6 8,250 9,500 12,000 12,000 8,000 8,544 
			 7 8,000 8,500 11,000 11,000 8,000 7,500 
			 8 8,000 8,500 11,000 10,000 8,000 7,500 
		
	
	
		
			 9 8,000 8,500 11,000 10,000 8,000 7,500 
			 10 6,500 8,500 11,000 10,000 8,000 7,500 
			 11 6,065 8,500 11,000 10,000 8,000 7,500 
			 12 6,000 8,500 9,000 10,000 8,000 7,500 
			 13 6,000 8,000 9,000 10,000 7,300 2,700 
			 14 5,000 7,500 7,000 10,000 5,500 2,700 
			 15 5,000 5,800 7,000 9,500 5,500 2,700 
			 16 4,500 5,800 7,000 8,000 5,500 2,700 
			 17 4,500 5,800 7,000 8,000 5,500 2,700 
			 18 4,500 5,800 7,000 8,000 5,500 2,700 
			 19 4,000 5,800 7,000 8,000 1,850 2,700 
			 20 3,750 5,800 7,000 8,000 1,600 2,700

Sports: Schools

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Education concerning funding for teacher release from September 2013 and the implications for her School games and 14 to 25 year olds programmes; and if she will make a statement.

Hugh Robertson: The Government is completely committed to doing all we can to inspire a generation to get involved in sport on the back of the Games. As part of that, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Basingstoke (Maria Miller), has worked closely with her counterparts in Education and Health on the recently announced School Sport Premium. The £150 million per annum funding aims to improve the quality of provision in every state primary school in England. It will also complement our £1 billion youth and community sport strategy that is increasing opportunities for secondary school age children to play more sport In fact, at secondary schools, sport provision is being further enhanced by sports governing bodies. With funding from Sport England, they will provide a multi-sport satellite club in every secondary school, which will be available to every secondary school pupil, on top of the sport and PE offer they receive as part of the curriculum.

Tour De France

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what Government funding is available to support the Grand Départ of the 2014 Tour de France; and if she will make a statement.

Hugh Robertson: We are delighted that the Tour de France is coming to England in 2014. This will be a fantastic way to inspire more people to take up and enjoy cycling.
	The three stages in Yorkshire, Cambridge and London will showcase some of our most iconic venues and will be a very fitting part of the London 2012 legacy.
	The Government will make funding available to UK Sport, to support the Grand Départ 2014, subject to UK Sport working with Welcome to Yorkshire and other event partners to review current plans and identify how these can be made more robust, to ensure value for money for any public investment. Up to £10 million of funding will be made available, but the level of support will be determined by the outcome of this exercise and subject to need.

Victoria and Albert Museum

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will attach a condition to the next grant-in-aid settlement for the Victoria and Albert Museum to require it to give consideration to marking the centenaries of leading British artists whose work it holds.

Edward Vaizey: The Department operates an 'arm's length' relationship with its sponsored bodies such as the Victoria and Albert Museum. It does not, therefore, intervene in curatorial decisions about whether to mark the centenaries of important British artists, which are the responsibility of the Museum's board of trustees and its executive.

Victoria and Albert Museum

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will consult with the Federation of British Artists before appointing future trustees to the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Edward Vaizey: Ministerial public appointments to the Board of Trustees of the Victoria and Albert Museum are made, on merit, under a fair, open and transparent process which is regulated by the Commissioner for public appointments. Applications are considered by a selection panel, whose function is to assess candidates impartially against the selection criteria and to submit a report to Ministers for their decision. Candidate applications are treated in confidence. It would not be appropriate to consult external organisations prior to taking a decision under this regulated process.

World Heritage Sites

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many times between 1 March 2008 and 1 March 2013 the UNESCO World Heritage Centre has had an opportunity to provide advice on a proposed development within a World Heritage Site or its buffer zone before a planning application has been determined; how many times in that period UNESCO has been informed only after such planning applications for any proposed development have been determined; and if it is her policy not to consult UNESCO on planning applications which may have an effect on the Outstanding Universal Value of a World Heritage Site until after a planning decision has been made and before it has been announced.

Edward Vaizey: DCMS does not normally collect this data and to collate this information would incur disproportionate cost.
	The UK Government operates in accordance with paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention (set out below) and informs UNESCO at appropriate points in the planning process. We are not aware of any cases during the period between 1 March 2008 and 1 March 2013 when UNESCO has been informed only after planning applications for any relevant proposed development have been determined. We are aware of at least 10 cases during the period from 1 March 2011 to 1 March 2013 when the UNESCO World Heritage Centre has had an opportunity to provide advice on a proposed development before a planning application has been determined.
	Information received from states parties and/or other sources
	172. The World Heritage Committee invites the States Parties to the Convention to inform the Committee, through the Secretariat, of their intention to undertake or to authorize in an area protected under the Convention major restorations or new constructions which may affect the Outstanding Universal Value of the property. Notice should be given as soon as possible (for instance, before drafting basic documents for specific projects) and before making any decisions that would be difficult to reverse, so that the Committee may assist in seeking appropriate solutions to ensure that the Outstanding Universal Value of the property is fully preserved.

CABINET OFFICE

Average Earnings: Scotland

Pamela Nash: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  what the average salary was in (a) Scotland and (b) Airdrie and Shotts constituency for (i) women and (ii) men in each of the last three years for which figures are available;
	(2)  what the average salary was in Airdrie and Shotts constituency in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the average salary was in (a) Scotland and (b) Airdrie and Shotts constituency for (i) women and (ii) men in each of the last three years for which figures are available (150506), and what the average salary was in Airdrie and Shotts constituency in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012 (150572).
	The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), carried out in April each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom. Annual levels of earnings are estimated from ASHE, and are provided for employees on adult rates of pay, who have been in the same job for more than a year.
	I attach a table showing the median gross annual earnings for male employees, female employees and all employee jobs in (a) Scotland and (b) Airdrie and Shotts constituency, for each year from 2010 to 2012.
	
		
			 Median gross annual earnings—for all employee jobs, all male employee jobs and all female employee jobs(1) in (a) Scotland and (b) Airdrie and Shotts constituency from 2010 to 2012 
			 £ 
			  Scotland Airdrie and Shotts constituency 
			  All Male Female All Male Female 
			 2010 20,776 25,610 16,500 *20,612 **25,233 **18,200 
			 2011(2) 20,681 25,470 16,521 *21,503 **24,500 **18,804 
			 2011(3) 20,412 25,303 16,326 *21,348 **24,279 **19,145 
			 2012 20,950 25,836 16,760 *22,548 **23,786 **20,293 
			 (1) Employees on adult rates who have been in the same job for more than one year. (2) 2011 results based on Standard Occupational Classification 2000. (3) 2011 results based on Standard Occupational Classification 2010. Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of a figure, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an average of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population average to be within the range 180-220. Key: CV < = 5% * CV > 5% and < =10% ** CV > 10% and < = 20% Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), Office for National Statistics.

Betting Shops

Ian Lavery: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people are employed by licensed betting offices.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated April 2013
	.
	Annual employment statistics are available from the Business Register and Employment Survey (BRES). The latest estimate, covering 2011, for the number employed in the gambling and betting activities sector in the UK is 99,500.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk

Childbirth: Foreign Nationals

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office for what (a) number and (b) proportion of births (i) one parent and (ii) both parents were foreign born in (A) London and (B) each London borough in the latest year for which figures are available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated March 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question on what the (a) number and (b) proportion of births was where (i) one or (ii) both parents were foreign-born in (A) London and (B) each London Borough within Greater London in the most recent year for which figures are available. (150600)
	Figures for live births where one or both parents are non-UK born have been compiled from birth registration data. The most recent figures available are for 2011, and these were provided in answer to parliamentary question 123519, in October 2012. Information on country of birth of parents is provided by the informant at registration.

Childbirth: Foreign Nationals

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office for what (a) number and (b) proportion of births (i) one parent and (ii) both parents were foreign born in (A) England and Wales, (B) each region of England and (C) Scotland in the latest year for which figures are available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated March 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office what (a) number and (b) proportion of births (i) one parent and (ii) both parents were foreign born in (A) England and Wales and (B) each region of England and (C) Scotland in the latest year for which figures are available. (150601)
	Figures for live births where one or both parents are non-UK born have been compiled from birth registration data. The following table shows the number and proportion of live births in 2011 in the areas requested, according to registration data. Information on country of birth of parents is provided by the informant at registration.
	
		
			 Number and proportion of births in England and Wales (A), the regions of England (B), and Scotland (C) where one or both parents are non-UK born, 2011(1) 
			 Area of usual residence of mother Number of births where only one parent is foreign born(2,3) Percentage of births where only one parent is foreign born Number of births where both parents are foreign born Percentage of births where both parents are foreign born 
			 England and Wales and elsewhere(4) 93,655 12.9 131,288 18.1 
			      
			 Wales 2,532 7.1 2,439 6.9 
			      
			 Regions     
			 North East 2,102 6.9 1,891 6.2 
			 North West 9,202 10.4 9,937 11.2 
			 Yorkshire and The Humber 7,794 11.7 8,129 12.2 
			 East Midlands 5,282 9.5 7,261 13.1 
			 West Midlands 9,642 13.2 11,286 15.5 
			 East Midlands 8,304 12.0 10,890 14.9 
			 London 27,403 20.6 58,905 44.3 
			 South East 14,566 13.6 15,147 14.1 
			 South West 6,299 10.4 5,321 8.8 
			      
			 Scotland(5) 5,308 9.1 5,381 9.2 
			 (1) For more information on parents' country of birth please see: www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/vsob1/parents--country-of-birth--england-and-wales/index.html www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/statistics/theme/vital-events/general/ref-tables/2011/section-3-births.html (2) The number of live births where one parent is foreign born includes sole registered live births (births registered by the mother alone, where information on the father was not recorded) where the mother is foreign born. (3) For England and Wales the number of live births where one parent is foreign born includes live births, where either the mother or the father's country of birth was not stated. For Scotland these parents whose country of birth is not stated are assumed to be UK born. (4) Includes births registered in England and Wales to mothers not usually resident in England and Wales. (5) For England and Wales, birth statistics are based on the number of births occurring in the year, while Scottish statistics relate to the number of births registered in the year. In England and Wales where a birth is registered too late to be included in the count for the year of occurrence, it will be included in the count for the following year. The differences between reporting occurrences and registrations are relatively minor and figures are broadly comparable (in 2009, 2010 and 2011 differences between registrations and occurrences of live births in England and Wales were around 0.2%). Source for England and Wales data: Office for National Statistics Source for Scottish data: National Records of Scotland

Civil Servants: Conditions of Employment

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment he has made of negotiations with the PCS trade union on jobs, pay, pensions and terms and conditions of staff within the Civil Service; and if he will make a statement.

Francis Maude: Engagement with the PCS, and all civil service trade unions, has been consistent and comprehensive during this administration, both centrally and by individual Government Departments.
	I have recently set up, with Sir Bob Kerslake, the Civil Service Forum. This provides the nationally-recognised civil service trade unions a central point of engagement to discuss those employment matters which have civil service-wide relevance.
	On pensions reform I led significant negotiations with the trade unions, including the PCS, and my officials continue to discuss with them details of the implementation of the pension reforms.

Consumers

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what information his Department holds on the long-term trends in consumer spending by the richest and poorest income deciles in the UK.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated March 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office what information his department holds on the long-term trends in consumer spending by the richest and poorest income deciles in the UK. (150648)
	The primary source of information on average household expenditure is the Living Costs and Food Survey (LCF), which is a sample survey covering approximately 5,500 households in the UK. The LCF also collects detailed information on household income.
	The ONS “Family Spending” publication uses LCF data to report on household expenditure using Classification Of Individual Consumption by Purpose (COICOP) categories. COICOP is an internationally agreed system of classification for reporting consumption expenditure. The COICOP system has been used to classify expenditure on the LCF and its predecessor the Expenditure and Food Survey (EFS) since 2001/02. This means that expenditure patterns can be presented on a consistent basis for years from 2001/02 to 2011, the most recent year for which data are currently available.
	An expenditure survey has been conducted each year from 1957, but comparisons with years before 2001/02 must be treated with caution because of the change in classifications used to categorise expenditure.
	Table 1 presents expenditure by COICOP category, by gross income decile, for 2001/02 and 2011. These figures are not adjusted for inflation, so the values are current to the time the survey was conducted.
	Table 2 presents expenditure by COICOP category as a proportion of total expenditure, by gross income decile, for 2001/02 and 2011. This enables the patterns of spending to be compared between the two years.
	These estimates, as with any involving sample surveys, are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	For further information, the latest edition of “Family Spending” is available from the ONS website:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/family-spending/family-spending/family-spending-2012-edition/index.html
	The data from the LCF also enable a range of related analyses to be conducted. For example, “The Effects of Taxes and Benefits on Household Income” is an annual publication containing analysis of household income and the impact that taxes paid and benefits received have on different income deciles. This publication does not directly report on expenditure, though expenditure data are used to calculate the value of indirect taxes, such as VAT and fuel and alcohol duties. In addition, ONS has also published a number of ad hoc articles looking at either overall household expenditure or individual components of expenditure, by income.
	Both “The Effects of Taxes and Benefits on Household Income” and these ad hoc articles are available through the ONS website:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/taxonomy/index.html?nscl=Income+Inequality+of+Households
	
		
			 Table 1: Household expenditure by gross income decile group, 2001/02 and 2011 
			  Bottom income decile Top income decile All households 
			  2001/02 2011 2001/02 2011 2001/02 2011 
			 Weighted number of households (thousands) 2,490 2,610 2,490 2,610 24,890 26,110 
			 Total number of households in sample 740 540 690 550 7,470 5,690 
			 Total number of persons in sample 980 710 2,210 1,730 18,120 13,430 
			 Total number of adults in sample 820 620 1,620 1,260 13,450 10,330 
			        
			 Weighted average number of persons per household 1.3 1.3 3.1 3.1 2.4 2.4 
			        
			 Commodity or service/Average weekly household expenditure (£)       
			 1. Food and non-alcoholic drinks 21.70 29.20 63.40 84.80 41.80 54.80 
			 2. Alcoholic drinks, tobacco and narcotics 5.90 6.60 16.70 18.70 11.40 12.00 
			 3. Clothing and footwear 7.60 6.80 50.80 46.30 22.90 21.70 
			 4. Housing (net)(1), fuel and power 20.60 40.10 62.30 84.50 35.90 63.30 
			 5. Household goods and services 11.90 10.20 67.10 58.10 30.50 27.30 
			 6. Health 1.10 1.20 11.70 16.00 4.50 6.60 
			 7. Transport 10.50 13.00 133.00 156.70 57.80 65.70 
			 8. Communication 5.10 6.50 13.40 20.50 10.40 13.30 
			 9. Recreation and culture 15.40 18.00 122.30 143.70 54.10 63.90 
			 10. Education 0.50 (2.20) 29.20 24.50 5.60 7.00 
			 11. Restaurants and hotels 8.70 9.80 76.30 94.40 33.40 39.70 
			 12. Miscellaneous goods and services 9.20 17.30 71.70 84.70 30.70 38.60 
			        
			 1-12. All expenditure groups 118.20 161.00 722.80 532.70 338.60 413.90 
			        
			 13. Other expenditure items 9.90 16.10 165.60 177.50 59.50 69.70 
		
	
	
		
			 Total expenditure 128.00 177.10 888.40 1,010.20 398.30 483.60 
			        
			 Average weekly expenditure per person (£)       
			 Total expenditure 98.10 141.90 283.00 321.20 167.60 205.40 
			 (1) Excluding mortgage interest payments, council tax and Northern Ireland rates. Notes: 1. The commodity and service categories are not comparable to those in publications before 2001-02. 2. Figures in this table are not adjusted for inflation, so values are current to the times the surveys were conducted. Sources: ONS, Family Spending 2002, 2011. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Household expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure by gross income decile group, 2001-02 and 2011, UK 
			  Bottom income decile Top income decile All households 
			  2001/02 2011 2001/02 2011 2001/02 2011 
			 Weighted number of households (thousands) 2,490 2,610 2,490 2,610 24,890 26,110 
			 Total number of households in sample 740 540 690 550 7,470 5,690 
			 Total number of persons in sample 980 710 2,210 1,730 18,120 13,430 
			 Total number of adults in sample 820 620 1,620 1,260 13,450 10,330 
			        
			 Weighted average number of persons per household 1.3 1.3 3.1 3.1 2.4 2.4 
			        
			 Commodity or service/Percentage of total expenditure       
			 1. Food and non-alcoholic drinks 17 16 7 8 10 11 
			 2. Alcoholic drinks, tobacco and narcotics 5 4 2 2 3 2 
			 3. Clothing and footwear 6 4 6 5 6 4 
			 4. Housing (net)(1), fuel and power 16 23 7 8 9 13 
			 5. Household goods and services 9 6 8 6 8 6 
			 6. Health 1 1 1 2 1 1 
			 7. Transport 8 7 15 16 15 14 
			 8. Communication 4 4 2 2 3 3 
			 9 Recreation and culture 12 10 14 14 14 13 
			 10. Education 0 (1) 3 2 1 1 
			 11. Restaurants and hotels 7 6 $ 9 8 8 
			 12. Miscellaneous goods and services 7 10 8 8 8 8 
			        
			 1-12. All expenditure groups 92 91 81 82 85 86 
			        
			 13. Other expenditure items 8 9 19 18 15 14 
			        
			 Total expenditure 100 100 100 100 100 100 
			 (1) Excluding mortgage interest payments, council tax and Northern Ireland rates. Note: The commodity and service categories are not comparable to those in publications before 2001-02. Sources: ONS, Family Spending 2002, 2011.

Death: Patients

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many deaths occurred in 2012 in hospitals in England as a result of MRSA bacteraemia; and how many deaths in total are estimated to have occurred in hospitals in England during the same period.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated March 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question to the Secretary of State for Health asking how many deaths occurred in 2012 in hospitals in England as a result of MRSA bacteraemia; and how many deaths in total are estimated to have occurred in hospitals in England during the same period.
	In 2011 (the latest available year) there were 53 deaths in hospitals in England where the underlying cause was MRSA and a further 279 where MRSA was shown on the death certificate as a contributory factor. In the same period, there were 230,819 deaths in hospitals in England.(1)
	Further information on deaths involving MRSA is available at the link below. The next edition of the MRSA bulletin, based on 2012 data, is due to be published in August 2013.
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/subnational-health2/deaths-involving-mrsa/2007-to-2011/index.html

Drinks: Sugar

Keith Vaz: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the number of deaths associated with the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages in each year in England and Wales.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated March 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what estimate has been made of the number of deaths associated with the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages in each year in England and Wales. (150298)
	The mortality data held by ONS come from the information collected when a death is registered. All the conditions and circumstances recorded on the medical certificate of cause of death, or the coroner’s death certificate, are coded using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). An underlying cause is assigned using ICD coding rules, and is defined as:
	(a) the disease or injury that initiated the train of events directly leading to death, or
	(b) the circumstances of the accident or violence that produced the fatal injury.
	Consequently, figures can only be provided for deaths recorded using medically recognised terms. Moreover, internationally accepted guidance from the World Health Organisation requires only those conditions that contributed directly to death to be recorded on the death certificate. ONS has no information on lifestyle factors, such as diet, that may be associated with mortality, as they are not recorded on the death certificate. Therefore we are unable to provide an estimate of the number of deaths associated with the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages.
	The number of deaths registered in England and Wales each year by sex, age, cause, marital status, and place of death are published annually on the National Statistics website at:
	www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/all-releases.html?definition=tcm%3A77-27475

Efficiency and Reform Group

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  how many full-time equivalent staff are employed in the Efficiency and Reform Group;
	(2)  how many staff employed by the Efficiency and Reform Group are paid (a) between £50,000 and £60,000, (b) between £61,000 and £70,000, (c) between £71,000 and £80,000 and (d) over £81,000 per annum;
	(3)  what the salaries are of each person with a salary of over £81,000 per annum employed in the Efficiency and Reform Group;
	(4)  how many full-time equivalent staff are employed in the Government Digital Service;
	(5)  how many staff in the Government Digital Service have salaries of (a) between £50,000 to £99,000 and (b) over £100,000 per annum;
	(6)  how many full-time equivalent staff are employed in the IT Reform Group;
	(7)  how many IT Reform Group staff have salaries (a) between £50,000 and £99,000 and (b) over £100,000 per annum.

Francis Maude: The Efficiency and Reform Group was founded after the general election to deal with the waste which the previous Administration failed to address. In its first short year of operation 2010-11 the Group helped Departments save an impressive £375 billion. Unlike the savings claimed by the previous Administration, these savings were validated by the NAO and the Public Accounts Committee. In its second year, thanks to the hard work of hundreds of civil servants, Departments increased their savings to £5.5 billion. This year's figures are not yet finalised but we are on track to save £8 billion. Our goal is to support savings of £20 billion in the final year of this Parliament relative to the baseline of the spending in the last year of the previous Administration, including by addressing fraud, error and uncollected debt.
	Despite ERG's impressive and unprecedented record the hon. Gentleman has attacked the workings of the Group, criticising in particular its running costs. This is despite the fact that the cost of the Group is dwarfed by the savings they have secured. And that, when machinery of Government changes are taken into account, there are now fewer civil servants in the Cabinet Office than at the time of the last general election.
	Under this Government's transparency programme an organogram of my Department's staffing is published online at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cabinet-office-staff-and-salary-data-30-september-2012--2
	This includes salary details. An update will be published in due course.

Electronic Government

Guto Bebb: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  whether he has received any complaints regarding the new gov.uk website;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the use of the gov.uk website to date.

Nick Hurd: GOV.UK brings Government information and services under a single domain and has been designed around user needs and behaviour. Its development is iterative. The intention was always that changes and improvements should be made following user feedback. Unlike with previous Government websites, criticism is not seen negatively and in fact users are positively encouraged to offer critical feedback by completing an online form.
	Details of the visitor numbers; performance; and transaction data of GOV.UK is published at:
	https://www.gov.uk/performance

Employment

Stephen Timms: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office by how many and by what proportion the number of people in employment changed between 2008 and 2012.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated March 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking by how many and by what proportion the number of people in employment changed between 2008 and 2012. 150356
	Estimates of employment are derived from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). Using annual averages it is estimated that, between 2008 and 2012, the number of people aged 16 and over in employment increased by 79,000, from 29.440 million to 29.519 million, This represents an increase of 0.3 per cent.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. The sampling variability for the level of employment in 2012 was approximately +/-160,000.

Employment

Stephen Timms: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office by what (a) proportion and (b) number the working-age population of the UK grew between 2008 and 2012.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated March 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your question asking the Minister for Cabinet Office by what (a) proportion and (b) number, the working-age population of the UK grew between 2008 and 2012 (150363).
	As the State Pension Age (SPA) for females is presently rising from age 60 to age 65, to achieve convergence with the male SPA by November 2018, the definition of working age differs according to context in published statistical reports. Most commonly it is (i) persons between the ages 16 to 64 inclusive but may also refer to <ii) females aged 16-59 inclusive and males aged 16-64 inclusive.
	The ONS collates annual estimates of the resident population of the UK by age, as at 30 June each year. Based on definition (i), the latest available data on the resident population of the UK shows that the working age population grew by 1.8% between 2008 and 2012 an increase of 731,000 people. Using definition (ii) the latest available data on the resident population of the UK shows that the working age population grew by 2.0% between 2008 and 2012, an increase of 750,000 people.

Employment: Airdrie

Pamela Nash: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of people were employed in (a) public sector, (b) private sector and (c) third sector organisations in Airdrie and Shotts constituency in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated March 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of people were employed in (a) public sector, (b) private sector and (c) third sector organisations in Airdrie and Shotts constituency in each of the last five years for which figures are available (150567).
	Labour Market statistics for local areas are calculated from the Annual Population Survey (APS). Estimates of people employed in the third sector are currently not available from APS. Individuals employed in voluntary organisations, charities and trusts are included in private sector estimates.
	Individuals in the APS are classified to the public or private sector according to their responses to the survey. In the APS the distinction between public and private sector is based on respondents' views about the organisation for which they work. The public sector estimates provided do not correspond to official Public Sector Employment estimates. Those are derived directly from employers and are based on a National Accounts' definition and are not available for areas smaller than regions.
	The tables show the number and percentage of people aged 16 to 64 years, who were employed in the public or private sector along with those who were unemployed or inactive, resident in Airdrie and Shotts constituency. These estimates are compiled from APS interviews held during the period January 2012 to December 2012, the latest period available, and the 12 month periods ending in December from 2008 to 2011. It should be noted that the estimates also include people who were employed but have not provided enough information to be accurately included in either the public or private sectors.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. A guide to the quality of the estimates is given in the tables.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			 Table 1: Percentage of people aged 16 to 64 years employed in the public and private sectors(1), resident in Airdrie and Shotts constituency 
			 Percentage 
			  Employed  
			 12 months ending: Public Private Unknown(2) Unemployed or inactive 
			 December 2008 17.6 49.9 n/a 32.1 
			 December 2009 24.3 48.1 n/a 26.6 
			 December 2010 21.5 49.5 n/a 28.5 
			 December 2011 15.5 45.7 n/a 38.0 
			 December 2012 18.0 50.0 n/a 31.6 
			 n/a = not available (1) Individuals in the APS are classified to the public or private sector according to their responses to the survey. (2) People who were employed but have not provided enough information to be accurately included in either the public or private sectors. Note: Components may not add to 100% due to rounding and suppression of unavailable estimates. Source: Annual Population Survey 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Number of people aged 16 to 64 years employed in the public and private sectors(1), resident in Airdrie and Shotts constituency 
			 Thousand 
			  Employed  
			 12 months ending: Public Private Unknown(2) Unemployed or inactive 
			 December 2008 10 28 n/a 18 
			 December 2009 13 26 n/a 15 
			 December 2010 10 24 n/a 14 
			 December 2011 8 23 n/a 19 
			 December 2012(3) ***10 **28 ****n/a ***18 
			 n/a = not available (1) Individuals in the APS are classified to the public or private sector according to their responses to the survey. (2) People who were employed but have not provided enough information to be accurately included in either the public or private sectors. (3) Coefficients of Variation have been calculated for the latest period as an indication of the quality of the estimates. See Guide to Quality: Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV - for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220. Key: * 0 = CV <5%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered precise ** 5 = CV <10%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 = CV <20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV ? 20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes Source: Annual Population Survey

Employment: Yorkshire and the Humber

Andrew Percy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of mothers aged 16 to 19 were in (a) education, (b) employment and (c) training in (i) Brigg and Goole constituency and (ii) Yorkshire and the Humber in each of the last 10 years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated April 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what proportion of mothers aged 16 to 19 were in (a) education, (b) employment and (c) training in (i) Brigg and Goole constituency and (ii) Yorkshire and the Humber in each of the last 10 years.
	It is not possible to provide reliable estimates on the proportion of mothers aged 16 to 19 who were in education, employment or training for Yorkshire and the Humber authority area, or below, due to small sample sizes.

Government Departments

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent assessment the Government has made of the effectiveness of the current configuration of Government departments.

Francis Maude: The machinery of government is kept under review.

Manufacturing Industries: Drugs

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people in (a) Barnsley Central constituency, (b) South Yorkshire and (c) England are employed in the pharmaceuticals sector.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated March 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Minister for the Cabinet Office asking how many people in (a) Barnsley Central constituency, (b) South Yorkshire and (c) England are employed in the pharmaceuticals sector.
	Annual employment statistics are available from the Business Register and Employment Survey (BRES). Table 1 following contains the latest figures available, which show the number employed in industries considered to be in the pharmaceutical sector for 2011, in Barnsley Central constituency, South Yorkshire and England.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			 Table 1: Employment by specified geography for industries considered to be in the pharmaceutical sector, 2011 
			 Area Manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products and pharmaceutical preparations Wholesale of pharmaceutical goods 
			 Barnsley Central constituency 0 0 
			 South Yorkshire * 1,100 
			 England 34,900 57,500 
			 Notes: 1. Cells containing an asterisk (*) contain disclosive data that cannot be published. 2. South Yorkshire refers to the former metropolitan county of South Yorkshire.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 18 February 2013 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Ms S Devlin.

Nick Hurd: A response to the right hon. Member's letter has now been issued.

Overseas Visitors

Frank Field: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps his Department has taken to improve its analysis of international passenger survey data over the last five years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated April 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department has taken to improve its analysis of international passenger survey data over the last five years.
	The following improvements have been made:
	1. Improvements to the International Passenger Survey (IPS):
	Improvements have been made to the IPS as part of the Migration Statistics Improvement Programme (MSIP), in response to the National Statistician’s Task Force on Migration. Several changes were introduced to the IPS design in 2009 to reflect changing patterns of migration to and from the UK. These included changes to the sampling at regional airports and have led to more robust and timely estimates of international migration at both the national and regional level. More information can be found in the MSIP Final Report:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/guide-method/method-quality/imps/latest-news/msip-final-report/index.html
	2. Improvements to reporting and supporting information:
	Since May 2009, ONS have published the Migration Statistics Quarterly Report (MSQR) in collaboration with other Government departments which brings together statistics on migration that are published quarterly by ONS, the Home Office and DWP. This enables users of migration statistics to easily compare data from different sources. The latest MSQR can be found here:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/migration1/migration-statistics-quarterly-report/index.html
	In November 2012, ONS published a paper on the quality and reliability of IPS data in relation to long-term international migration flows which can be found here:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/guide-method/method-quality/specific/population-and-migration/international-migration-methodology/international-passenger-survey-quality-information-in-relation-to-migration-flows.pdf
	3. Improvements to publication tables:
	In February 2012, ONS introduced new functionality on published migration charts allowing users to scroll through long-term international migration estimates by categories of citizenship groups and reason for migration. This functionality provides a user friendly way of quickly identifying the main drivers behind changes in migration patterns.
	From August 2012, ONS published confidence intervals alongside IPS immigration, emigration and net migration estimates to indicate the statistical uncertainty of the estimates. In line with this, the MSQR has reported on differences in estimates that have been checked for statistical significance. This means that ONS can be clear about which changes in published data are likely to be a reflection of real changes in migration patterns rather than differences that may have occurred by chance.
	These improvements can be viewed here:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/migration1/migration-statistics-quarterly-report/february-2013/provisional-long-term-international-migration--ltim--estimates-june-2012.xls
	4. New data visualisation:
	In August 2012, ONS published the Migration Timeline which is an interactive tool that shows key long-term international migration figures since 1964 with additional data and information that provides context to what may have affected international migration at that time. The Timeline can be viewed here:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/interactive/theme-pages-1-1/index.html
	5. New questions on the IPS
	The IPS is reviewed annually and new questions appear from January. For migration statistics’ purposes, an additional question was added to the IPS in 2012 that asks applicable emigrants their main reason for migrating to the UK originally. This will provide better information on migration patterns of students, which has been the most common reason stated for immigration to the UK since 2009. These new data will be published in August 2013.

Part-time Employment

Gavin Shuker: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of people who work 17 hours per week.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated April 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what recent estimate has been made of the number of people who work 17 hours per week 150432
	Estimates of hours worked are derived from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). For the period October to December 2012 it was estimated that 101,000 people worked on average 17 actual hours per week in their main job. Estimates are rounded to the nearest whole hour.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. It is estimated that the true value is likely to lie between 76,000 and 127,000.

Pay

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the number of staff at senior management level who have received a (a) 1 per cent, (b) 2 per cent, (c) 3 per cent, (d) 4 per cent and (e) 5 per cent pay rise or above in (i) 2010, (ii) 2011, (iii) 2012 and (iv) 2013.

Francis Maude: Since May 2010, senior civil servants across Government have been subject to a pay freeze and no pay rises—other than on promotion—have been given to staff at this level in my Department since then.

Political Parties: Conferences

Julian Huppert: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the reasons are for the policy that researchers at a medical research council institute may not speak in a private capacity at a party political conference.

Francis Maude: Non departmental public bodies (NDPBs) must be and be seen to be politically impartial. These principles apply to those working for the Medical Research Council.

Population: Females

Philip Davies: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the size of the female population in each of the next five years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated March 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Minister for the Cabinet Office, asking what estimate he has made of the size of the female population in each of the next five years. (151004)
	The most recent national population projections, based on the resident population at the middle of 2010, were published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on 26 October 2011. These do not incorporate results from the 2011 Census. Table 1 below gives the projected female population for the United Kingdom and its constituent countries, 2013 to 2018.
	
		
			 Table 1: Projected female population for the United Kingdom and its constituent countries, 2013-18 
			 Thousand 
			  2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 
			 United Kingdom 32,301 32,537 32,770 33,000 33,225 33,449 
			 England 27,086 27,296 27,505 27,711 27,912 28,112 
			 Wales 1,553 1,561 1,569 1,577 1,585 1,593 
			 Scotland 2,730 2,742 2,754 2,765 2,775 2,786 
			 Northern Ireland 932 937 943 948 953 958 
			 Source: Office for National Statistics. 
		
	
	National population projections are not forecasts and do not attempt to predict the impact that factors such as future government policies or changing economic circumstances might have on the population. The projections are based on assumptions of future mortality, fertility and migration which are based on demographic trends. The projections become increasingly uncertain the further they are carried forward. To help understand the uncertainty, a number of variant projections based on alternative assumptions are also produced.

Prostate Cancer: Yorkshire and the Humber

Andrew Percy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many men in (a) Brigg and Goole constituency and (b) Yorkshire and the Humber died from advanced prostate cancer in each of the last five years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated March 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many men in (a) Brigg and Goole constituency and (b) Yorkshire and the Humber died from advanced prostate cancer in each of the last five years. (150597)
	Table 1 provides the number of deaths where prostate cancer was the underlying cause of death, in Brigg and Goole parliamentary constituency and Yorkshire and the Humber region, for deaths registered between 2007 and 2011 (the latest year available).
	The number of deaths registered in England and Wales each year by sex, age and underlying cause (including cancer), are published annually on the ONS website at:
	www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/all-releases.html?definition=tcm%3A77-27475
	
		
			 Table 1. Number of deaths where the underlying cause was prostate cancer in Brigg and Goole parliamentary constituency and Yorkshire and the Humber region, deaths registered between 2007 and 2011(1,2,3) 
			 Deaths (males) 
			 Area of usual residence 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 
			 Brigg and Goole 21 16 15 8 19 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 831 835 885 888 878 
			 (1) Underlying cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases Tenth Revision (ICD-10) code C61 (Malignant neoplasm of prostate). It has been assumed that where prostate cancer was judged to be the underlying cause of death, it can be considered ‘advanced’. (2) Figures are based on boundaries correct as at February 2013 and exclude non-residents. (3) Figures are based on deaths registered rather than deaths occurring in a calendar year. Further information on registration delays for a range of causes including prostate cancer can be found on the ONS website: www.ons.gov.uk/ons/guide-method/user-guidance/health-and-life-events/impact-of-registration-delays-on-mortality-statistics/index.html

Retail Trade

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of total retail spending was spent in high streets in each of the last 30 years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated March 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking the Minister for Cabinet Office what estimate has been made of the proportion of total retail spending spent in high streets in each of the last 30 years.
	ONS retail sales figures cannot be separated between UK high streets and out of town shopping centres. However, data are available on the value of online sales compared to total sales. The monthly retail sales index release can be found on the National Statistics website:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/rsi/retail-sales/index.html
	The table that shows the total sales (in millions of pounds), broken down by online and store based sales. Also shown is the proportion of online sales versus store based sales. Historic data are provided as far back as 2007, when online retailing was first captured.
	
		
			 All retailing excluding automotive fuel 
			  AGG 21X 
			  Sales (millions of pounds) Sales (percentage of total) 
			       
			  Total Internet Non-internet Internet Non-internet 
			 2007 271,352 9,240 262,112 3.4 96.6 
			 2008 285,072 14,052 271,020 4.9 95.1 
			 2009 285,273 17,764 267,509 6.2 93.8 
			 2010 292,348 21,260 271,088 7.3 92.7 
			 2011 302,770 25,117 277,653 8.3 91.7 
			 2012 310,748 28,949 281,799 9.3 90.7

Retail Trade

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the total retail market turnover was in each of the last 30 years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated March 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning what estimate has been made of the total retail market turnover in each of the last 30 years.
	ONS produce monthly total retail sales estimates as far back as January 1986. The amount spent as measured by the value of retail sales is most suitable for answering your question and can be found here:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/about-ons/what-we-do/publication-scheme/published-ad-hoc-data/economy/april-2013/amount-spent-in-the-retail-sector.xls

Telephone Services

John Healey: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  for each of the principal access numbers operated by (a) his Department and (b) the agencies for which he is responsible, what revenue has been retained by (i) the telephone provider for that line and (ii) his Department in each of the last three years;
	(2)  which telephone lines are operated by (a) his Department and (b) the agencies for which he is responsible for public enquiries or other services; what the (i) principal access number and (ii) telephone service provider is for each number; and which such lines (A) are free to the caller and (B) may incur a charge to the caller.

Nick Hurd: The Cabinet Office has a single principal access number which is 020 7276 1234.
	The Department does not hold information on what revenue has been retained by the telephone provider of the line nor does the Department retain any revenue from the line.

Unemployment: North Lanarkshire

Pamela Nash: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many and what proportion of people aged between 18 and 65 years are not in employment and do not claim benefits in (a) Airdrie and Shotts constituency and (b) North Lanarkshire local authority area.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many and what proportion of people aged between 18 and 65 years are not in employment and do not claim benefits in (a) Airdrie and Shotts constituency and (b) North Lanarkshire local authority area (150570).
	Labour market statistics for local areas are calculated from the Annual Population Survey (APS). However, due to small sample sizes, estimates of the number of people not in employment and not claiming benefits are not provided for Airdrie and Shotts constituency.
	For those resident in North Lanarkshire, 11,000 or 5.4% of people aged 18 to 64 were not in work and not claiming benefits, according to responses to the APS during the period January to December 2012. It should be noted that comparisons between the data collected by the APS, and administrative data collected by other government departments, show that the APS consistently undercounts benefit claimants.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Crown Prosecution Service

Philip Davies: To ask the Attorney-General how many complaints have been received from (a) magistrates, (b) judges and (c) court staff on the operation of the Crown Prosecution Service in the last year for which figures are available.

Dominic Grieve: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is committed to giving individuals directly affected by our service the opportunity to tell us whether or not we have met the standards we have set. The CPS Feedback and Complaints policy ensures that complaints are dealt with sensitively, fairly, and thoroughly, and that all feedback (positive and negative) is properly considered and acted upon. Complaints from the police, court staff, the judiciary, or staff from any other criminal justice agency, which are made in their professional capacity, fall outside of this policy and are dealt with in accordance with local liaison arrangements between the relevant agency and the CPS. The CPS record the numbers of complaints and feedback which fall within the remit of the policy; however the numbers of complaints received by the CPS from CJS staff are not centrally recorded and could not be determined without incurring a disproportionate cost.

Sentencing

Philip Davies: To ask the Attorney-General what his policy is regarding amending criminal charges to (a) a lesser charge and (b) a more serious charge when a plea has been taken in court but where the defendant has not been sentenced for the originally charged offence.

Dominic Grieve: All decisions by Crown Prosecutors to charge a criminal offence are taken in accordance with the guidance set out by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in the Code for Crown Prosecutors (the Code). Prosecutors must be satisfied that there is a realistic prospect of conviction and that a prosecution is required in the public interest. Charges should reflect the seriousness of the offending; provide the court with adequate sentencing powers; and enable the case to be presented clearly and simply.
	When considering whether to accept a defendant's guilty plea to a different and possibly less serious charge, prosecutors consider the Code and guidance published by the Attorney-General on The Acceptance of Pleas and the Prosecutor's role in the sentencing exercise.

TREASURY

Air Passenger Duty

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of an increased rate of air passenger duty on tourist revenues to the UK.

Sajid Javid: I refer the hon. Member to the answer provided on 11 March 2013, Official Report, column 34W.

Alcoholic Drinks: Prices

Ian Austin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect that a minimum unit price for alcohol would have on the amount of duty paid on alcohol.

Sajid Javid: The Government's consultation on the introduction of a minimum unit price for alcohol of 45p has recently closed. The consultation stage impact assessment sets out the impacts of a 45p minimum unit price—this is available on the Home Office website.
	The estimate of the impact on Exchequer revenue will be developed further based on the consultation feedback.

Banks: Loans

Naomi Long: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of the Funding For Lending scheme in Northern Ireland.

Greg Clark: The Funding for Lending Scheme (FLS) was launched to boost bank lending to UK households and non-financial businesses. The UK Government is committed to help Northern Irish businesses grow and will continue to work hard to support the Northern Irish economy, including in the area of bank lending.

Betting Shops: Taxation

Ian Lavery: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much (a) general betting duty, (b) gaming machine duty, (c) VAT, (d) corporation tax, (e) other taxes and (f) horseracing and greyhound levies were paid by operators of licensed betting offices in the 2011 financial year.

Sajid Javid: A breakdown of general betting duty, machine gaming duty, VAT, corporation tax, other taxes and horseracing and greyhound levies paid by operators of licensed betting offices is not available.
	HMRC publishes betting and gaming duty revenue collected in the betting, gaming and lottery bulletin:
	https://www.uktradeinfo.com/Statistics/Pages/TaxAndDutyBulletins.aspx

Business: Loans

Toby Perkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will review the potential mis-selling of fixed rate loans through the provision of mis-leading information on their breakage costs.

Sajid Javid: The Financial Conduct Authority is currently undertaking a review into the mis-selling of interest rate hedging products. The banks concerned have committed to completing these reviews within six months.

Debts: Developing Countries

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of expenditure on official development assistance he expects to be attributable to debt cancellation in (a) 2012-13 and (b) 2013-14.

Greg Clark: Debt cancelation accounted for 0.72% of official development assistance in 2012 according to provisional figures. The Government does not publish debt relief forecasts as they are estimates and could prejudice the UK's policy stance to the countries involved.

Debts: East Africa

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he expects debt cancellation for Sudan and Zimbabwe to contribute to official development assistance expenditure by 2013-14.

Greg Clark: The Government made provision for debt relief for both Sudan and Zimbabwe during the 2010 spending review. The Government does not publish debt relief forecasts as they are estimates and could prejudice the UK's policy stance to the countries involved.

European Investment Bank

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to page 130 of the Office for Budget Responsibility publication, Economic and fiscal outlook, March 2013, for what reasons the UK's contribution to the European Investment Bank has been reclassified for accounting purposes; when that decision was taken; and who made that decision.

Greg Clark: The UK's contribution to the European Investment Bank has not been reclassified for accounting purposes. In the Economic and Fiscal Outlook, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is referring to a change in assumption about the classification of spending that the reserve would be used to fund. Before autumn statement 5 December 2012, Official Report, columns 871-882, the OBR assumed all of the reserve would be used to fund spending that affects the deficit. However, since autumn statement they have correctly assumed that £1.3 billion of the reserve in 2012-13 is used to fund the UK's contribution to increasing the paid-in capital of the European Investment Bank, as was agreed at the European Council of 28 and 29 June 2012. This contribution is classified as a financial transaction, and does not affect the deficit.
	The details of this payment were set out in paragraph 2.45 of the 2012 autumn statement document.

Gift Aid

Alun Cairns: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consideration he has given to reviewing the length of the process for charities to register for Gift Aid to reflect modern technologies and fundraising routes.

Sajid Javid: Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is launching a new Charities Online service on 22 April. This will enable charities to file their Gift Aid claims online. The service will be extended later this year to allow organisations to also apply online to HMRC for recognition for charitable tax purposes. Charities will benefit from an easier process for claiming Gift Aid and a reduction in administrative burdens.

Gift Aid: Brigg

Andrew Percy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many charities registered in Brigg and Goole constituency have applied for Gift Aid in each of the last five years; and how much such charities have received through Gift Aid in each such year.

Sajid Javid: HM Revenue and Customs does not separately identify Gift Aid claims by regions of the UK.
	Amounts of tax repaid to charities in the UK on donations under Gift Aid are published in Table 10.1 on the HMRC website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/statistics/charity.htm
	In 2011-12 a total of £1,076 million (provisional figure) was repaid to UK charities under Gift Aid.

Income Tax

Pamela Nash: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost to the public purse was of producing the document, The Exchequer effect of the 50 per cent additional rate in income tax, published by HM Revenue and Customs in March 2012.

David Gauke: At Budget 2011 the Chancellor of the Exchequer stated that he had asked HM Revenue and Customs to assess the revenue from the 50% additional rate of income tax.
	The cost of analysis of the self-assessment data and consideration of evidence around behavioural response forms part of HMRC's baseline running costs.

Minimum Wage

Paul Burstow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out each category of data HM Revenue and Customs routinely collects regarding compliance with national minimum wage rules.

David Gauke: In cases of minimum wage non-compliance, HMRC will collect:
	Number, age and gender of underpaid workers.
	The period and amount of the arrears.
	The type of work that the worker is doing e.g. time work, output, salaried or unmeasured.
	Amount of any penalty charge.
	Standard Industry Code relating to the trade of the employer.
	Whether advice has been provided on record-keeping.

Minimum Wage

Paul Burstow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many fines have been imposed for non-compliance with national minimum wage rules in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: Prior to 6 April 2009, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) issued penalty notices to those employers who failed to comply, within 28 days, with an enforcement notice. A new enforcement regime, introduced in April 2009 saw the introduction of automatic penalties for employers who are found to have underpaid their workers. The numbers of penalty charges made from that date are in the following table:
	
		
			 Financial year Number of penalties charged 
			 2009-10 480 
			 2010-11 937 
			 2011-12 906 
			 2012-13 (to date) 701

Mortgages: Government Assistance

William Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the number of people likely to benefit from the proposed Help to Buy scheme in each (a) nation and (b) region; and how many such beneficiaries are in each income decile.

Danny Alexander: Help to Buy: equity loan will help up to 74,000 buyers of new build homes over the next three years. The number of people who will benefit in each region, and their level of income, is dependent on a number of factors including demand from home-buyers and developers and property prices. As housing is devolved, the Help to Buy: equity loan scheme will only be available in England, although the devolved Administrations will receive Barnett consequentials.
	The Help to Buy: mortgage guarantee will be available on mortgages on homes across the UK. Depending on its final design, it will be sufficient to support £130 billion worth of mortgages, UK-wide. This could benefit up to 190,000 households per year. Actual take up will depend on demand.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Ann McKechin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what total Barnett consequentials will be awarded to Scotland as a result of his Help to Buy: mortgage guarantee scheme.

Danny Alexander: The Help to Buy: mortgage guarantee will be available on mortgages on homes across the UK and therefore no Barnett consequentials will apply.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Ann McKechin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his proposed Help to Buy: mortgage guarantee scheme will apply to England only.

Sajid Javid: No. The Help to Buy: mortgage guarantee will be available on mortgages on homes across the UK.

National Insurance Contributions: Scotland

Pamela Nash: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what revenue accrued to the Exchequer as a result of national insurance contributions paid by (a) employers and (b) employees in respect of the employment of a person under 25 years old in Scotland in the latest period for which figures are available.

David Gauke: The estimated amount of class 1 national insurance contributions paid in Scotland in respect of the employment of a person under 25 years old in Scotland was:
	
		
			 National insurance contributions paid in Scotland in respect of employment of a person under 25 years old 
			 £ billion 
			  Class 1 Employee NICs Class 1 Employer NICs 
			 2006-07 0.22 0.27 
			 2007-08 0.25 0.30 
			 2008-09 0.24 0.29 
			 2009-10 0.22 0.26 
			 2010-11 0.21 0.24 
		
	
	Figures for 2011-12 and 2012-13 are not available.
	Estimates are based on a 1% sample of Pay As You Earn (PAYE) data. The sample is based on accruals data; it relies upon P14 forms completed by employers at the end of each tax year and may differ from receipts figures that may be available from other sources.

National Insurance Contributions: Scotland

Pamela Nash: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the monetary value was of (a) employer and (b) employee national insurance contributions from Scotland in (i) 2010, (ii) 2011 and (iii) 2012.

David Gauke: The estimated amount of class 1 national insurance contributions paid in Scotland is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 National insurance contributions from Scotland 
			 £ billion 
			  Class 1 employee NICs Class 1 employer NICs 
			 2009-10 3.4 4.4 
			 2010-11 3.4 4.4 
		
	
	Figures for 2011-12 and 2012-13 are not available.
	Estimates are based on a 1% sample of pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) data. The sample is based on accruals data; it relies upon P14 forms completed by employers at the end of each tax year and may differ from receipts figures that may be available from other sources.

Nuclear Power Stations: Finance

Paul Flynn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to paragraphs 1.96-1.97 of the Red Book, if he will take steps to ensure private power generation companies planning to develop nuclear power plants will have to pay in full at commercial rates for any assistance provided on infrastructure development by the new cadre of commercial infrastructure specialists and from the enhanced Major Projects Authority in line with Coalition agreement policy on no subsidies for new nuclear power plants.

Sajid Javid: The enhanced central cadre of commercial infrastructure specialists announced at Budget 2013 will be deployed into public sector bodies, not into private companies.

Part-time Employment: Overseas Students

Ian Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the contribution of international students to the UK economy in each of the last five years.

Sajid Javid: International students contribute to the UK economy through both their spending in the UK and the tuition fees they pay, supporting employment and the local economy in university towns and increasing export earnings. Exact figures are not available but education exports are estimated to contribute more than £14 billion to the UK economy each year, and this is estimated to increase to over £20 billion by 2020.

Poverty: Children

Nick Harvey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many school-aged children were living in households in relative income poverty, measured after housing costs, that had household earnings after tax of between (a) £5,000 and £5,999, (b) £6,000 and £6,999, (c) £7,000 and £7,999, (d) £8,000 and £8,999 and (e) £10,000 and £16,190 in the most recent period for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many school-aged children were living in households in relative income poverty, measured after housing costs and had a household income for tax credit purposes of between (a) £5,000 and £5,999, (b) £6,000 and £6,999, (c) £7,000 and £7,999, (d) £8,000 and £8,999 and (e) £10,000 and £16,190 in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Esther McVey: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.
	The following table shows estimates of the number of school-aged children living in relative poverty, after housing costs, grouped by household earnings after tax.
	
		
			 Household earnings after tax (band) After housing costs (millions) 
			 Between £5,000 and £5,999 0.1 
			 Between £6,000 and £6,999 0.1 
			 Between £7,000 and £7,999 0.1 
			 Between £8,000 and £8,999 0.1 
			 Between £9,000 and £9,999 0.1 
			 Between £10,000 and £16,190 0.4 
		
	
	Information concerning the number of school-aged children living in relative poverty grouped by household income for tax credit purposes is not available.
	Some technical notes concerning the above table:
	1. These statistics are based on households below average income (HBAI) data sourced from the 2010/11 Family Resources survey (FRS). This uses disposable household income, adjusted using modified OECD equivalisation factors for household size and composition, to identify children living in relative poverty—that is children living in households with less than 60% of median contemporary household income.
	2. However, the households earnings measure (used to group the households/children in relative poverty) is unequivalised, i.e. it has not been adjusted for household size and composition. Household earnings (as used here) are the total household earnings, after tax, from employment and self-employment.
	3. Figures have been presented on a after housing costs basis, where housing costs are deducted from income. Typically, headline relative poverty statistics are presented on a before housing costs basis, where housing costs are not deducted from income.
	4. All estimates are based on survey data and are therefore subject to a degree of uncertainty. Small differences should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response.
	5. For the purpose of this PQ, a school-aged child is defined as being aged at least four (and in education) and aged under 16, plus those aged 16 to 19-years old if they are: not married nor in a civil partnership nor living with a partner; and living with parents; and in full-time non-advanced education.
	6. Full-time non-advanced education is defined as primary (including reception class), state-run special schools (e.g. for children with disabilities and special education needs), middle-deemed primary (state run or assisted), middle-deemed secondary school (state run or assisted), secondary school (state run or assisted), non-advanced further education/6th form/tertiary/further education college, Any private/independent school (prep, primary, secondary, City Technology colleges) and home schooling.
	7. Numbers of children have been rounded to the nearest hundred thousand children.
	Further related information can be found in the households below average income series published at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/hbai/hbai2011/index.php?page=contents
	The 2011/12 edition of households below average income is due to be published by the Department of Work and Pensions in May/June 2013.
	Income matters but considering this in isolation fails to properly reflect the reality of child poverty in the UK today. We want to develop better measures of child poverty which include income but provide a more accurate picture of the reality of child poverty. Our consultation on how best to measure child poverty closed on the 15 of February. A large volume of responses was received and all of these are being read and analysed to ensure that all important points are captured and used to help Ministers decide on the next steps.

Public Expenditure: Northern Ireland

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the net annual difference in the block grant to the Northern Ireland Executive as a result of (a) the Budget 2013 and (b) a lowering of the corporation tax rate to 10 per cent.

David Gauke: As a result of policy decisions announced at Budget 2013, the Northern Ireland Executive will benefit from an additional £54 million of spending power over the next two years.
	No assessment has been made of the impact of a 10% corporation tax rate in Northern Ireland on the block grant.

Recruitment

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what amount his Department spent on advertising job vacancies in each year from 2005 to 2009;
	(2)  how much his Department spent on advertising job vacancies in (a) 2005, (b) 2006, (c) 2007, (d) 2008 and (e) 2009.

Sajid Javid: Figures for spend on advertising job vacancies between 2005 and 2008 are not available as they are not held separately and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Details of spend for recruitment advertising for job vacancies are available for the financial year 2008-09 and 2009-10 as follows:
	
		
			  Spend (£) 
			 2008-09 1,064,000 
			 2009-10 1,188,000 
		
	
	It is also worth noting that spending on recruitment advertising has reduced significantly since May 2010 following the Government’s introduction of the civil service recruitment freeze. I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Leeds West (Rachel Reeves) on 30 January 2013, Official Report, column 798W.

Royal Liverpool Hospital

Louise Ellman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to reach a decision on the rebuilding of the Royal Liverpool University Hospital; and if he will make a statement.

Danny Alexander: I approved a Draft Appointment Business Case for the proposed new Royal Liverpool Hospital on 27 March. This approval, subject to the satisfaction of relevant conditions, allows the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust to close competitive dialogue with bidders and to call for final bids.

Tax Allowances: Video Games

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date the video games tax credit, as announced in Budget 2012, will be implemented.

David Gauke: As confirmed at Budget 2013, the video games tax relief will be introduced following state aid approval. The Government is working closely with the Commission and industry representatives to ensure that the scheme is implemented as early as possible.

Taxation: Self-assessment

Robert Halfon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what plans he has for changes to the maintenance and support arrangements for the online self-assessment tax system from 1 July 2013; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what risk assessment he has carried out of the future stability and reliability of the online self-assessment tax system under the new maintenance and support arrangements from 1 July 2013.

David Gauke: The majority of HMRC's IT services are outsourced through the ASPIRE Contract with Capgemini, who manage the IT supply chain for the Department. As part of their ongoing value for money activity, Capgemini is making changes to the supplier arrangements for the maintenance and support of the Self Assessment system from July 2013. HMRC holds Capgemini to account for the effective delivery of the Self Assessment maintenance and support arrangements as part of that contract.

Venture Capital

Heather Wheeler: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the amount of funding invested in small and medium-sized enterprises through venture capital trusts since their introduction; and what assessment he has made of future trends in such investment;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the number of jobs to be created in small and medium-sized enterprises as a result of venture capital trust funding over the next five years.

David Gauke: Between 1995-96 and 2011-12 £4.7 billion was raised by venture capital trusts. At least 70% of all funds raised by venture capital trusts are invested in small- and medium-sized enterprises.
	HM Revenue and Customs publish National Statistics on the amounts of funds raised by venture capital trusts for each year between 1995-96 and 2011-12.
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/statistics/vct/table8-6.pdf
	There are no data available on future trends of investment in small- and medium-sized enterprises by venture capital trusts or on the number of jobs that have been created by venture capital trusts.

HEALTH

Accident and Emergency Departments: Greater Manchester

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many patients waited more than four hours for treatment at the Central Manchester Foundation Trust accident and emergency departments at (a) Trafford General Hospital and (b) Manchester Royal Infirmary in each of the last four quarters for which data are available;
	(2)  how many patients waited more than four hours for treatment at each accident and emergency department in Greater Manchester in each of the last four quarters for which data are available.

Anna Soubry: Information showing the number of patients waiting more than four hours for treatment at accident and emergency (A and E) departments at national health service trusts and foundation trusts across Greater Manchester, for the last four quarters, is shown in the following tables. Information is not available by hospital.
	
		
			  Patients waiting more than four hours for treatment 
			  Q4 2011-12 Q1 2012-13 
			 Trust Type 1 Type 2 Type 3 Total Type 1 Type 2 Type 3 Total 
			 University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust 1,255 0 0 1,255 1,349 0 0 1,349 
			 Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust 962 0 0 962 991 0 0 991 
			 Bolton NHS Foundation Trust 2,521 0 0 2,521 1,054 0 0 1,054 
			 Tameside Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 726 0 0 726 771 0 0 771 
			 Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust 755 0 0 755 914 0 0 914 
			 Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 3,339 5 0 3,344 2,516 8 2 2,526 
			 Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust 2,110 0 72 2,182 2,752 0 89 2,841 
			 Stockport NHS Foundation Trust 877 0 0 877 1,498 0 0 1,498 
		
	
	
		
			  Patients waiting more than four hours for treatment 
			  Q2 2012-13 Q3 2012-13 
			 Trust Type 1 Type 2 Type 3 Total Type 1 Type 2 Type 3 Total 
			 University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust 1,393 0 0 1,393 2,304 0 0 2,304 
			 Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust 822 0 0 822 1,153 0 0 1,153 
			 Bolton NHS Foundation Trust 594 0 0 594 1,155 0 0 1,155 
			 Tameside Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 729 0 0 729 1,098 0 0 1,098 
			 Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust 383 0 0 383 476 0 0 476 
			 Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 2,863 4 1 2,868 3,176 2 0 3,178 
			 Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust 2,416 0 48 2,464 3,274 0 88 3,362 
			 Stockport NHS Foundation Trust 1,381 0 0 1,381 2,122 0 0 2,122 
			 Notes: 1. Type 1 A and E department—A consultant-led 24-hour service with full resuscitation facilities and designated accommodation for the reception of A and E patients. 2. Type 2 A and E department—A consultant-led single specialty A and E service (e.g. ophthalmology, dental) with designated accommodation for the reception of patients. 3. Type 3 A and E department—Other type of A and E/minor injury units/walk-in centres, primarily designed for the receiving of A and E patients. Source: Department of Health weekly situation reports.

Alder Hey Children’s Hospital

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the debt to equity ratio is in the funding for the new private finance initiative project signed-off by his Department to rebuild Alder Hey Children's Hospital; and who the funders are for each type of investment;
	(2)  what the state equity stake is in the new private finance initiative project signed-off by his Department to rebuild Alder Hey Children's Hospital.

Daniel Poulter: The precise gearing (ratio of debt to equity finance) at financial close for the private finance initiative (PFI) scheme at Alder Hey NHS Foundation Trust is 88.07:11.93 debt to equity, with debt being provided by M&G and European Investment Bank (EIB). Equity is provided by the Acorn consortium (John Laing, Laing O'Rourke and Interserve).
	There is no public sector equity stake in the Alder Hey PFI project. The Government announced details of a new public private partnership model to replace the PFI, Private Finance 2 (PF2), in December 2012 under which the public sector should consider acting as a co-investor on future projects. Given the advanced stage of procurement of the Alder Hey scheme it was not appropriate to apply this principle to that specific scheme.

Azathioprine

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the adequacy of supply of azathioprine; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Lamb: We are aware there are intermittent supply problems with one strength of Azathioprine tablets due to problems with the supply of the active ingredient and manufacturing capacity problems. However the other strength is freely available.

Brain: Tumours

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has met representatives from the charity HeadSmart to discuss how GPs might be better trained to diagnose the early symptoms of brain tumour in children; and if he will make a statement.

Daniel Poulter: The Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), has not met representatives from the charity HeadSmart.
	The content and standard of health care training is the responsibility of the independent regulatory bodies. Through their role as the custodians of quality standards in education and practice, these organisations are committed to ensuring high quality patient care delivered by high quality health professionals and that health care professionals are equipped with the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to deal with the problems and conditions they will encounter in practice.
	From 1 April 2013, Health Education England will be responsible for promoting high quality education and training that is responsive to the changing needs of patients and local communities.

Brain: Tumours

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent comparative assessment he has made of the UK's international performance on the diagnosis of childhood brain tumours; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry: The Department has made no comparative assessment of the United Kingdom's international performance on the diagnosis of childhood brain tumours.
	‘Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer’, published on 12 January 2011, sets out our ambition to bring England's cancer survival rates in line with the European average by 2014-15. Research has shown that to match the European average we need to save 5,000 additional lives per year. Over 3,000 of the 5,000 lives are expected to be saved by earlier diagnosis of symptomatic cancers.
	This research also shows that if England's survival rates were as good as the best in Europe we would save 10,000 additional lives per year. This figure has also been broken down by tumour site and we estimate that we would save 225 additional lives each year if we matched the best European survival rate for brain cancer.
	The Government's Mandate between the Secretary of State for Health and the NHS Commissioning Board clearly states our ambition for excellent care for everyone, regardless of age. It also recognises the need to improve access to treatment; the quality of care offered and health outcomes for all patients, including children. An indicator on 'five year survival from all cancers in children' is included in Domain 1 of the NHS Outcomes Framework (preventing premature deaths). This will help us to measure improvements in survival in children and young people under 15 years.

Cancer: East Midlands

Pauline Latham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the operation of the East Midlands Cancer Drugs Fund.

Norman Lamb: The Cancer Drugs Fund has so far helped over 1,800 patients in the East Midlands strategic health authority area to access the additional cancer drugs their clinicians recommend.
	The NHS Commissioning Board took on oversight of the Cancer Drugs Fund from 1 April 2013.

Care and Support Bill (Draft)

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the provision of rights and support for young carers in the draft Care and Support Bill; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Lamb: During public consultation and pre-legislative scrutiny of the draft Care and Support Bill, a number of concerns have been raised about provision for assessment and support for young carers.
	The Government is clear that children and young people should not undertake inappropriate caring responsibilities or levels of caring that impact adversely on their ability to learn or thrive.
	The Department of Health and Department for Education are considering how this can best be secured through the legislative frameworks for both children and adults and through non-legislative means.

Deloitte

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will place in the Library all correspondence between officials in his Department and Deloitte MSC Limited between 1 January 2010 and 1 May 2010;
	(2)  if he will list the dates and attendance list of all meetings between officials in his Department and any employee of Deloitte MCS Limited between 1 November 2009 and 1 May 2010.

Daniel Poulter: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost as it is not collected centrally.
	The Department's central procurement database shows that Deloitte MSC Ltd did not submit any tenders or bids for work contracted by the Department between 1 January 2010 and 1 May 2010 therefore no correspondence has been recorded between those dates. A search of the Department's centralised correspondence database also shows no correspondence was received from Deloitte MSC Ltd between 1 January 2010 and 1 May 2010.

Dementia

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the successful bidders for funding under the recent dementia-friendly environment grants scheme.

Norman Lamb: The Department announced the successful applicants for stage 1 of the £50 million funding of capital projects to improve care environments for people with dementia.
	The list of successful applicants has been placed in the Library.

Diabetes

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when his Department plans to publish the document entitled Best Practice for Commissioning Diabetes Services—An Integrated Care Framework.

Anna Soubry: The document entitled ‘Best Practice for Commissioning Diabetes Services—An Integrated Care Framework’ has been published by NHS Diabetes and was launched at the Diabetes UK Annual Professional Conference held in Manchester 13-15 March 2013.
	The document can be accessed via the following link:
	www.tinyurl.com/CommissioningDiabetes

Diabetes

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to publish the diabetes action plan.

Anna Soubry: I refer the right hon. Member to the written answer I gave on 18 March 2013, Official Report, column 521W, to the hon. Member for Torbay (Mr Sanders).

Endocrinology

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the World Health Organisation and UN Environment Programme report entitled State of the Science of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals, published on 19 February 2013; whether his Department will take steps to carry out the recommendations in the report; and if he will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
	DEFRA co-ordinates cross-Government activity on issues of chemicals with potential endocrine disrupting activity.
	We have requested an assessment of the report “State of the Science of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals” prepared by the WHO/UNEP from the Hazardous Substances Advisory Committee (HSAC). We will consider the report's recommendations in light of the views of HSAC and those of internal, cross-Government experts, taking into account the recent Scientific Opinion on the hazard assessment of endocrine disruptors by the European Food Safety Authority's Scientific Committee.

Epilepsy

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what plans he has to ensure that the Quality Standards for epilepsy will be included in the Commissioning Group Outcomes Indicator Set;
	(2)  what steps his Department and the NHS Commissioning Board will take to ensure that the Quality Standards for epilepsy are employed by clinical commissioning groups before their inclusion in the Clinical Commissioning Group Outcomes Indicator Set.

Norman Lamb: It is for the NHS Commissioning Board to make decisions on the Clinical Commissioning Group Outcomes Indicator Set.
	The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published two epilepsy quality standards on 28 February this year and plan to consider potential epilepsy indicators for the Clinical Commissioning Group Outcome Indicator Set in April.
	NICE would then develop these indicators further, and their independent committee would then make recommendations to the NHS Commissioning Board (now known as NHS England).
	Commissioners can use the quality standards to ensure that high-quality care and services are being commissioned through the contracting process or to incentivise provider performance.

Epilepsy

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will consider the recently published report by Epilepsy Action entitled Critical Time.

Norman Lamb: We welcome the recent report by Epilepsy Action on services for people with epilepsy. The report was the focal point of an adjournment debate I responded to on 29 January 2013, which provided an opportunity to consider the issues affecting people with epilepsy and the services they receive. At the debate, I reiterated the Government's commitment to improving the quality of care people with epilepsy receive and improving outcomes.
	Clinical commissioning groups must commission health services to meet the reasonable requirements of the people for whom they have responsibility, unless the NHS Commissioning Board is under a duty to commission services. Local clinicians are best placed to make decisions on how to address local health needs, including the provision of services for people with epilepsy.
	In terms of social care, local authorities are responsible for providing or arranging such services for their populations and will provide or arrange such care on the basis of need rather than on an individual having a particular diagnosis or condition.
	As steward of the health and care system, the Department's role will be to champion health and wellbeing across Government and ensure that the whole system works together to meet the needs of communities.

Epilepsy

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health following the incorporation of the new Quality Standards for Epilepsy into the Clinical Commissioning Groups Outcomes Indicator Set, by what mechanisms clinical commissioning groups will be held to account against those standards.

Norman Lamb: It is for the NHS Commissioning Board (NHS England) to make decisions on the Clinical Commissioning Group Outcomes Indicator Set, and on how they hold clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to account for their performance.
	Commissioners can use the quality standards to ensure that high-quality care and services are being commissioned through the contracting process or to incentivise provider performance.
	The CCG Outcomes Indicator Set aims to support CCGs in improving health outcomes by providing comparative information on the quality of health services commissioned by CCGs and the associated health outcomes—and to support transparency and accountability by making this information available to patients and the public. However, the CCG Outcomes Indicator Set will not in itself set thresholds or levels of ambition for CCGs.

Fertility

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who in the NHS Commissioning Board is responsible for overseeing infertility service provision in England.

Anna Soubry: NHS England has informed us that oversight of the commissioning of national health service fertility services will be the responsibility of its Medical Directorate.

Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what criteria his Department used to assess affordability when rejecting the advice of the Advisory Group for National Specialised Services on the commissioning of eculizumab for the treatment of atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what research his Department conducted when rejecting the Advisory Group for National Specialised Services' advice that eculizumab should be nationally commissioned for the treatment of atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome.

Norman Lamb: Following consideration of advice from the Advisory Group for National Specialised Services (AGNSS) on this issue, we felt we needed further advice on eculizumab's suitability for direct commissioning taking account of its costs, benefits and affordability.
	In reaching this decision, Ministers considered the advice presented by AGNSS, including all the underlying work on which AGNSS had based its conclusions (including, in particular, the Technology Assessment Report commissioned by the NIHR Health Technology Assessment Programme on AGNSS's behalf, and produced by the University of Sheffield's School of Health and Related Research Technology Assessment Group).

Health and Wellbeing Boards

Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will take steps to ensure that health and wellbeing boards have an active role in addressing rising fuel poverty; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the publication by health and wellbeing boards of the joint strategic needs assessment and the joint health and wellbeing strategies with regard to addressing rising fuel poverty; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Lamb: Health and wellbeing boards will use Joint Strategic Needs Assessments (JSNAs) and Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategies (JHWSs) to strategically plan local health and care services based on the identified needs of local communities and therefore deliver locally appropriate services, tailored to local circumstances. It would not be appropriate for the Department to make an assessment of, or take steps to mandate the work of health and wellbeing boards in relation to JSNAs and JHWSs and how these address fuel poverty costs. This would risk undermining the purpose of JSNAs and JHWSs being objective comprehensive and—importantly —locally owned processes for developing evidence-based priorities for commissioning across local health and social care services. Fuel poverty is an important issue that health and wellbeing boards may choose to include within their JSNA and JHWS process.
	Health and wellbeing boards are a new part of the modernised health and care system. They took on their statutory functions from 1 April 2013; and JHWSs were not required to be developed until this transition. Many emerging health and wellbeing boards have been developing JSNAs and JHWSs while in shadow form. However health and wellbeing boards will continue to develop over the next 12 months.
	To support health and wellbeing boards in undertaking and developing JSNAs and JHWSs, the Department has published statutory guidance which explains the duties and powers relating to these. Further supportive materials, including advice on good practice will be published from April.

Health Services

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the draft commissioning guidance for consistency of provision of urgent and emergency care produced by his Department; what plans he has for its adoption; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry: The Department has not published draft commissioning guidance for consistency of provision of urgent and emergency care.
	In January this year, the NHS Commissioning Board announced that it is to review the model of urgent and emergency services in England. The review, led by Medical Director Sir Bruce Keogh, will set out proposals for the best way of organising care to meet the needs of patients.
	The review team will work with clinical commissioning groups to develop a national framework offer to help them ensure high-quality, consistent standards of care across the country.

Health Services

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that patient groups will be involved in (a) commissioning decisions made by the clinical commissioning groups and (b) the design of commissioning policies and service specifications by the National Commissioning Board.

Daniel Poulter: The Health and Social Care Act 2012 will require clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and the NHS Commissioning Board (NHS England) to involve patients and public in all aspects of the commissioning of health services from 1 April 2013. CCGs must set out how they will involve people in their planning, and then evidence that involvement in their Annual Reports. CCG boards will also have at least two lay members sitting on the Board, to secure strong patient and public voice in their decision making.
	NHS England will shortly issue statutory guidance for CCGs on how they can promote the involvement of patients in decisions about their care and treatment, and ensure patients and the public are involved in the planning, development and delivery of health services.
	The Patients and Information Directorate, within NHS England, will be working to empower the patient and public voice, within the commissioning process, through the intelligence it gathers from a comprehensive programme of patient and staff surveys, real-time patient feedback, and modern customer insight tools and techniques. NHS England will also be leading programmes of work to support CCGs and direct commissioners in effective public involvement in health service planning and commissioning decisions, working closely with the voluntary sector and other agencies such as Healthwatch and Health and Wellbeing Boards.

Hip Replacements

Jim Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department (a) has undertaken and (b) evaluated on cobalt and chromium toxicity arising from metal-on-metal hip replacements.

Norman Lamb: The Department of Health and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have undertaken the following evaluations of cobalt and chromium toxicity arising from metal-on-metal hip replacements.
	(a) At the request of the MHRA, the Committee on Mutagenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COM) reviewed evidence for genotoxicity arising from biomonitoring studies of individuals who had undergone metal-on-metal hip arthroplasty. The COM published a statement in July 2006. The link to the COM statement is as follows:
	www.iacom.org.uk/statements/COM06S1.htm
	(b) An Expert Advisory Group (EAG) assessed the clinical significance of the findings of the COM with regard to metal-on-metal and metal-on-polyethylene hip replacements, in order to put those findings into a risk-benefit context so that appropriate practical advice could be offered both to clinicians and to patients considering undergoing hip replacement surgery. The current version of the EAG report “Advice from the CSD Expert Advisory Group on the biological effects of metal wear debris generated from hip implants” was published in March 2010 and a copy of this report has been placed in the Library.
	(c) In 2008 the MHRA set up another EAG to assess the significance of soft, tissue reactions associated with metal-on-metal hip replacements. The. report of this group “Report of the Expert Advisory Group looking at soft tissue reactions associated with metal-on-metal hip replacements” was published in October 2010. This document has been placed in the Library.

Hip Replacements

Jim Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what support his Department provides for people with cobalt and chromium toxicity arising from metal-on-metal hip replacements.

Norman Lamb: To support members of the public with concerns about metal-on-metal (MOM) toxicity arising from hip replacements, the latest advice has been made available on the NHS Choices website at the following link:
	www.nhs.uk/conditions/Hip-replacement/Pages/Introduction.aspx
	The guidance includes a ‘question and answer’ section on metal-on-metal hip implants. Those with immediate concerns about their hip replacement should speak to their general practitioner or orthopaedic surgeon.
	On 28 February 2012, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) issued updated patient management and monitoring advice to surgeons and doctors recommending that they should monitor patients every year for the lifetime of their MOM hip replacements sized 36 millimetres or more. This is so that any potential complications can be picked up early. More information can be found on the MHRA website at the following link:
	www.mhra.gov.uk/Safetyinformation/Generalsafetyinformationandadvice/Product-specificinformationandadvice/Product-specificinformationandadvice%E2%80%93M%E2%80%93T/Metal-on-metalhipimplants/

Horses: Slaughterhouses

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has assessed any evidence that horse meat contamination in UK meat products has come from horses killed in UK abattoirs.

Anna Soubry: As part of the ongoing investigation into the mislabelling of meat products, the Food Standards Agency has conducted an audit of all horse producing abattoirs in the United Kingdom. These visits have implicated two meat premises, one in West Yorkshire and the other in west Wales. Investigations are ongoing.

Hospital Beds: Greater London

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the bed occupancy rate of (a) University College Hospital, (b) the Royal Free Hospital, (c) Whittington Hospital and (d) North Middlesex University Hospital was between December 2012 and February 2013.

Anna Soubry: The information requested is not currently available. Bed occupancy data for Quarter 4 of 2012-13, including the average occupancy rate during January, February and March 2013, will be published on 23 May 2013 on the NHS England's website at:
	www.england.nhs.uk/statistics

Isosorbide Mononitrate

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to increase the supply of isosorbide mononitrate tablets; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what discussions he has had on sourcing unlicensed isosorbide mononitrate from Germany or elsewhere; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Lamb: Isosorbide mononitrate (normal release) tablets are currently in short supply due to problems with the availability of the active ingredient. Departmental officials have been in contact with the pharmaceutical companies who supply this product about ongoing availability. The chief pharmaceutical officer and the interim clinical director for heart disease wrote to health care professionals on 14 February to advise them about the supply situation and provide clinical and professional guidance.

Medicine: Overseas Students

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) actual and (b) maximum allowed proportion is of non-UK European Economic Area students at UK medical schools in each cohort.

Daniel Poulter: The Department does not collect the data requested.
	Data provided by the Higher Education Funding Council for England shows that the percentage of students subject to overseas 'other' fees at medical schools in England was 7.1% in 2010-11 and 7.8% in 2011-12.
	Currently there is agreement that the total number of non-European Economic Area students at United Kingdom medical schools should be a maximum of 7.5% of the total in each cohort.

Meetings

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library minutes of all departmental meetings where Sir David Nicholson and Mr Richard Douglas were both present between 1 January 2010 and 31 March 2010.

Daniel Poulter: Officials have established that, for the period referenced, there are no formal records available of meetings involving both Sir David Nicholson and Mr Douglas, other than those already in the public domain. These include a written record of the appearance of Sir David Nicholson and Mr Douglas before the Health Select Committee on 21 January 2010, which can be found at:
	www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200910/cmselect/cmhealth/269/10012101.htm
	There was also one departmental board meeting during the period in question, of which summary minutes can be found at:
	http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130107105354/http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/@ps/documents/digitalasset/dh_117361.pdf

Mental Health Services: Young People

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of spending on children and adolescent mental health services has been made through the Children and Young People's Increased Access to Psychological Therapies programme in the last two years.

Norman Lamb: There are two separate funding streams which are not directly comparable. Firstly, central funding for the Children and Young People's Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (CYP IAPT) project has been provided to transform services through training therapists and service managers in evidence based practice. Funding of up to £56 million has been made available for CYP IAPT. This consists of £8 million per year for four years announced in October 2011, additional investment of up to £22 million over the next three years announced in February 2012, and £2 million for new handheld computers announced on 15 March 2013.
	Secondly, provision for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) is included in both the overall financial allocations made to the national health service and in financial allocations made to local authorities through the Local Government Revenue Support Grant.
	NHS spend on CAMHS was £772.114 million in 2009-10 and £755.807 million in 2010-11.
	CAMHS funding is included in funding provided to local authorities for On-going Personal Social Services of £767.02 million in 2011-12 and £784.43 million in 2012-13. Individual elements of funding are not ring fenced.
	The Department for Education has also made funding of £2,212 million in 2011-12 and £2,297 million in 2012-13 available through the Early Intervention Grant to local authorities and schools for a wide range of services for children, young people and families including targeted mental health support in schools.

Mental Health: Young People

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will publish the data collections made by his Department concerning children and young people's mental health; and what assessment he has made of that data;
	(2)  if he will make it his policy to publish an atlas of variation using data collected on (a) adult and (b) children and young people's mental health.

Norman Lamb: The CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) Minimum Data Set is currently in its implementation phase. The data has been specified for collection from all national health service organisations from April 2013. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care will make data available to other parties as soon as the data quality and coverage are sufficient to provide a robust national picture. The CAMHS Minimum Data Set will be a key driver to achieving better outcomes of care for children by providing, comparative, linked data that can be used to plan and commission services.
	The NHS Atlas of Variation series is intended to support local decision making to increase the value which a population receives from the resources spent on their healthcare. It supports the search for unexplained variations, the identification and attention to unwarranted variation, helping clinicians to understand what is going on in their area and where to focus attention to improve the care they provide. Atlases of variation are an important way of raising standards and we have therefore agreed with Public Health England that they will update the Atlas for children and young people regularly. It is our intention to discuss the future use of adult mental health indicators, their range and availability, with the new commissioning organisations.

NHS Property Services

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library all correspondence between the Shareholder Executive and his Department that names NHS Property Services Company Ltd.

Daniel Poulter: There is no correspondence between the Shareholder Executive and the Department regarding NHS Property Services Ltd, but a member of the Shareholder Executive senior team sits on the Department's PCT Estate Programme Board and has supported the Department in the set up of the company.

NHS Property Services

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the name is of each senior employee of NHS Property Services Company Ltd.

Daniel Poulter: Details of the leadership team at NHS Property Services Ltd were published on the company website, in the November 2012 edition of their 'Landscape' newsletter, a copy of which has been placed in the Library. Four non-executive directors were also appointed in March 2013, and a copy of the media release containing their names has also been placed in the Library.

NHS: Land

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which hospital trusts in Greater London have disposed of land since May 2010; what the location is of each parcel of land disposed of; what information his Department holds of planned land disposals by hospital trusts in Greater London; and what the location is of each such planned disposal.

Daniel Poulter: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available has been placed in the Library.
	National health service organisations locally decide on how their estate is used, including the disposal of land.
	Data are not collected on land disposal by the NHS or its location. Data are collected on surplus or potentially surplus land from NHS trusts, including its location, in support of the Government's initiative to accelerate the release of public sector land for development. An extract of these data has been published and placed in the Library.
	The element of these data not published, nor placed in the Library, relates to sites defined as “sensitive” by the NHS. Subsequently another similar data collection was undertaken in October 2012 which is currently being analysed and will be published in the near future.

NHS: Redundancy Pay

Andy Burnham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 14 March 2013, Official Report, column 361W, on NHS: redundancies, if he will publish an anonymised list detailing the value of each individual redundancy payment referred to in that Answer.

Daniel Poulter: We do not hold information on the value of individual exit packages.

NHS: Reorganisation

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the cost of the NHS Next Stage Review was for (a) commissioning reports and other evidence, (b) staff salaries, (c) administration, (d) publication, (e) other and (f) in total;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer of 21 March 2013, Official Report, column 794W, on NHS reorganisation, which officials in his Department signed off the expenditure of (a) $162,000 on Quality Oversight in England by Joint Commission International, (b) $319,000 on Achieving the Vision of Excellence in Quality by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and (c) $170,000 on Developing, Disseminating and Assessing Standards in the National Health Service by RAND; and what the date of the sign-off was in each case.

Anna Soubry: The reports were commissioned by the then chief medical officer, Professor Sir Liam Donaldson, as part of the wider NHS Next Stage Review. All departmental expenditure is authorised in line with existing controls, and audited by the National Audit Office.
	Available information about the costs of the Review were set out by the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Ann Keen), on 10 October 2007, Official Report, columns 672-3W. She said that the total departmental spend so far on staff, patients and public engagement in direct connection with the review was £1.2 million.

NHS: Standards

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  which civil servants of pay grade (a) SCS1, (b) SCS1A, (c) SCS2, (d) SCS3 and (e) Permanent Secretary level received advanced sight of (i) Quality Oversight in England by Joint Commission International published in January 2008, (ii) Achieving the Vision of Excellence in Quality, by the Institute of Healthcare Improvement published in January 2008 and (iii) Developing, Disseminating and Assessing Standards in the National Health Service by RAND published February 2008;
	(2)  which Ministers received advanced sight of (a) Quality Oversight in England by Joint Commission International published in January 2008, (b) Achieving the Vision of Excellence in Quality by the Institute of Healthcare Improvement published in January 2008 and (c) Developing, Disseminating and Assessing Standards in the National Health Service by RAND published in February 2008.

Anna Soubry: These reports were used alongside evidence and views from thousands of other people and organisations as a basis for ‘High Quality Care for All’, the final report of the NHS Next Stage Review. We have no records of there ever having been a pre-determined publication date for the review's contributory material, nor of when individuals read their copies.

Nurses: East Midlands

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) district nurses, (b) health visitors, (c) community psychiatric nurses, (d) community matrons and (e) community learning disability nurses were employed in each primary care trust in the East Midlands in the latest three periods for which figures are available.

Daniel Poulter: The following tables show numbers of full-time equivalent qualified nursing staff in the East Midlands Strategic Health Authority (SHA) area by organisation in each specified area of work as at 30 September in 2010, 2011 and 2012.
	Since June 2012, there is an additional Health Visiting Minimum Data Set Collection from SHAs that includes additional full time equivalent health visitors employed by non-national health service organisations, not on the NHS Electronic Staff Record. As at September 2012, there were 26 additional full-time equivalent health visitors employed in the East Midlands SHA area.
	Figures for nursing staff employed by primary care trusts (PCTs) in 2010 are not comparable to those for subsequent years. Under the Transforming Community Services programme, initiated under the previous Administration, most community services and the associated staff transferred from primary care trusts to provider organisations on 1 April 2011.
	The data provided therefore includes numbers for both PCT and national health service provider organisations in the East Midlands.
	
		
			 NHS hospital and community health services: Qualified nursing staff in the East Midlands Strategic Health Authority area by organisation in each specified area of work as at 30 September 2010 
			 Full-time equivalent 
			       Of which: 
			   All specified staff Community Psychiatry Community Learning Disabilities Community Services Community Matrons Health visitors District nurses 
			 East Midlands Strategic Health Authority area  5,646 1,457 218 3,971 140 637 539 
			          
			 Bassetlaw PCT 5ET 128 — 1 127 8 15 14 
			 Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust RFS 27 — — 27 — — — 
			 Derby City PCT 5N7 224 7 — 218 7 42 21 
			 Derby Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust RTG 0 — — 0 — — — 
			 Derbyshire County PCT 5N6 531 — 24 507 28 120 169 
			 Derbyshire Mental Health Services NHS Trust RXM 362 348 13 1 — — — 
			 East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust RX9 17 — — 17 — — — 
			 Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust RNQ 1 — — 1 — — — 
			 Leicester City PCT 5PC 310 — — 310 19 55 13 
			 Leicestershire County and Rutland PCT 5PA 429 — — 429 — 75 40 
			 Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust RT5 318 283 35 — — — — 
			 Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust RP7 237 237 — — — — — 
			 Lincolnshire Teaching PCT 5N9 692 8 1 683 24 104 86 
			 Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust RNS 23 — 8 15 — 4 — 
			 Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust RP1 267 223 33 11 — — — 
			 Northamptonshire Teaching PCT 5PD 556 — — 556 5 91 129 
			 Nottingham City PCT 5EM 441 16 — 425 20 53 35 
			 Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust RX1 8 — — 8 — — — 
			 Nottinghamshire County Teaching PCT 5N8 622 1 1 620 29 79 31 
			 Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust RHA 438 334 103 1 — — — 
		
	
	
		
			 United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust RWD 5 — 1 4 — — — 
			 University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust RWE 9 — — 9 — — — 
			 ‘—’ = Zero Notes: 1. Community Matrons, Health Visitors and District Nurses work exclusively in the Community Services area of work. This area of work also includes Nurse Consultants, Modern Matrons, Nurse Managers, RSCNs, Other 1st Level Nurses and Other 2nd Level nurses who are not separately identified in this table. 2. Full-time equivalent figures are rounded to the nearest whole number. Data Quality: The Health and Social Care Information Centre seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data but responsibility for data accuracy lies with the organisations providing the data. Methods are continually being updated to improve data quality where changes impact on figures already published. This is assessed but unless it is significant at national level figures are not changed. Impact at detailed or local level is footnoted in relevant analyses. Source: Health and Social Care Information Centre Non-Medical Workforce Census. 
		
	
	
		
			 NHS hospital and community health services: Qualified nursing staff in the East Midlands Strategic Health Authority area by organisation in each specified area of work as at 30 September 2011 
			 Full-time equivalent 
			       Of which: 
			   All specified staff Community Psychiatry Community Learning Disabilities Community Services Community Matrons Health visitors District nurses 
			 East Midlands Strategic Health Authority area  5,243 1,439 224 3,580 130 652 455 
			          
			 Bassetlaw PCT 5ET 126 — 2 124 9 12 16 
			 Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust RFS 26 — — 26 — — — 
			 Derby City PCT 5N7 17 3 — 14 — — — 
			 Derby Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust RTG 28 — — 28 8 — 10 
			 Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Trust RY8 496 — 26 470 23 119 153 
			 Derbyshire County PCT 5N6 22 — 3 19 — — 1 
			 Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust RXM 418 347 13 59 — 46 — 
			 East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust RX9 16 — — 16 — — — 
			 Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust RNQ 1 — — 1 — — — 
			 Leicester City PCT 5PC 294 — — 294 18 59 9 
			 Leicestershire County and Rutland PCT 5PA 377 — — 377 — 77 29 
			 Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust RT5 342 302 39 — — — — 
		
	
	
		
			 Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust RY5 279 — — 279 6 103 22 
			 Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust RP7 269 229 6 34 — — — 
			 Lincolnshire Teaching PCT 5N9 349 6 — 344 16 — 59 
			 Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust RNS 59 — 8 51 — 1 — 
			 Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust RP1 263 222 30 11 — — — 
			 Northamptonshire Teaching PCT 5PD 472 — — 472 1 87 59 
			 Nottingham City PCT 5EM 365 6 — 359 21 62 44 
			 Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust RX1 30 1 — 29 — — 16 
			 Nottinghamshire County Teaching PCT 5N8 28 — — 28 — — — 
			 Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust RHA 909 324 97 488 29 84 36 
			 Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust RK5 44 — — 44 — 1 — 
			 United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust RWD 4 — 1 3 — — — 
			 University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust RWE 10 — — 10 — — — 
			 ‘—’ = Zero Notes: 1. Community Matrons, Health Visitors and District Nurses work exclusively in the Community Services area of work. This area of work also includes Nurse Consultants, Modern Matrons, Nurse Managers, RSCNs, Other 1st Level nurses and Other 2nd Level nurses who are not separately identified in this table. 2. Full-time equivalent figures are rounded to the nearest whole number. Data Quality: The Health and Social Care Information Centre seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data but responsibility for data accuracy lies with the organisations providing the data. Methods are continually being updated to improve data quality where changes impact on figures already published. This is assessed but unless it is significant at national level figures are not changed. Impact at detailed or local level is footnoted in relevant analyses. Source: Health and Social Care Information Centre Non-Medical Workforce Census. 
		
	
	
		
			 NHS hospital and community health services: Qualified nursing staff in the East Midlands Strategic Health Authority area by organisation in each specified area of work as at 30 September 2012 
			 Full-time equivalent 
			       Of which: 
			   All specified staff Community Psychiatry Community Learning Disabilities Community Services Community Matrons Health visitors District nurses 
			 East Midlands Strategic Health Authority area  5,278 1,445 214 3,618 116 707 457 
			          
		
	
	
		
			 Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust RFS 24 — — 24 — — — 
			 Derby City PCT 5N7 18 3 — 15 — — — 
			 Derby Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust RTG 25 — — 25 7 — 11 
			 Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Trust RY8 510 — 23 486 25 126 141 
			 Derbyshire County PCT 5N6 20 — 2 18 — 1 — 
			 Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust RXM 417 351 13 54 — 47 — 
			 East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust RX9 26 — — 26 — — — 
			 Leicester City PCT 5PC 6 — — 6 — — — 
			 Leicestershire County and Rutland PCT 5PA 12 — — 12 — — — 
			 Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust RT5 1,028 288 37 703 16 143 44 
			 Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust RY5 611 1 — 610 7 101 89 
			 Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust RP7 265 227 7 31 — — — 
			 Lincolnshire Teaching PCT 5N9 30 6 — 24 — — — 
			 Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust RNS 55 — 6 49 — 1 — 
			 Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust RP1 695 238 31 426 1 105 60 
			 Northamptonshire Teaching PCT 5PD 12 — — 12 — — — 
			 Nottingham City PCT 5EM 7 — — 7 — 1 — 
			 Nottingham Citycare Partnership NR3 359 6 — 353 19 68 43 
			 Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust RX1 25 — — 25 — — 17 
			 Nottinghamshire County Teaching PCT 5N8 27 — — 27 — — — 
			 Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust RHA 1,048 326 95 627 42 114 52 
			 Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust RK5 45 — — 45 — 1 — 
			 United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust RWD 4 — 1 3 — — — 
		
	
	
		
			 University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust RWE 10 — — 10 — — — 
			 ‘—’ = Zero Notes: 1. Community Matrons, Health Visitors and District Nurses work exclusively in the Community Services area of work. This area of work also includes Nurse Consultants, Modern Matrons, Nurse Managers, RSCNs, Other 1st Level nurses and Other 2nd Level nurses who are not separately identified in this table. 2. Since June 2012 there is an additional Health Visiting Minimum Data Set Collection from SHAs that includes additional Health Visitors employed by non-NHS organisations, not on ESR. These figures are provided in a separate table and are only available at SHA level. 3. Full-time equivalent figures are rounded to the nearest whole number. Data Quality: The Health and Social Care Information Centre seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data but responsibility for data accuracy lies with the organisations providing the data. Methods are continually being updated to improve data quality where changes impact on figures already published. This is assessed but unless it is significant at national level figures are not changed. Impact at detailed or local level is footnoted in relevant analyses. Source: Health and Social Care Information Centre Non-Medical Workforce Census.

Nurses: Greater London

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses have been employed by South East London hospitals in each year from 2009-10 to date.

Daniel Poulter: The information is not available in the format requested. Information for nurses, midwives and health visitors employed at the trusts responsible for hospitals within South East London hospitals in each year from 2009 to date is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 NHS hospital and community health services: qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff employed by South East London NHS organisations in each specified organisation as at 30 September each specified year 
			 Full-time equivalent 
			  2009 2010 2011 2012 
			 Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust 2,932 3,026 3,543 3,663 
			 King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 1,926 2,154 2,263 2,410 
			 Lewisham Healthcare NHS Trust 737 802 955 950 
			 Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust 578 794 1,009 1,016 
			 South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust 1,635 1,530 1,472 1,472 
			 South London Healthcare NHS Trust 1,866 1,809 1,809 1,745 
			 Notes: 1. Full-time equivalent figures are rounded to the nearest whole number. 2. Data Quality: The Health and Social Care Information Centre seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data but responsibility for data accuracy lies with the organisations providing the data. Methods are continually being updated to improve data quality where changes impact on figures already published. This is assessed, but unless it is significant at national level, figures are not changed. Impact at detailed or local level is footnoted in relevant analyses. Source: Health and Social Care Information Centre non-medical workforce census.

Nurses: Greater London

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurse assistants have been employed in South East London hospitals in each year from 2009-10 to date.

Daniel Poulter: The information is not available in the format requested. Information for nursing assistants and auxiliary nurses employed at the trusts responsible for hospitals within South East London as at 30 September from 2009 to date is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 NHS hospital and community health services: nursing assistants/auxiliaries employed by South East London NHS organisations as at 30 September each specified year 
			 Full-time equivalent 
			  2009 2010 2011 2012 
			 Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust 192 23 54 44 
			 King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust — — — — 
			 Lewisham Healthcare NHS Trust — 1 — 16 
		
	
	
		
			 Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust 300 327 383 360 
			 South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust 433 508 524 506 
			 South London Healthcare NHS Trust 22 19 15 15 
			 Notes: 1. Full-time equivalent figures are rounded to the nearest whole number. 2. Data Quality: Clinical support to nursing staff also includes other nursing support staff, health care assistants and other health care support staff in the relevant areas and therefore may explain why some trusts do not have nursing assistants as they may have been coded as other types of nursing support. This is essentially the result of the fact that individual NHS organisations are ultimately responsible for the way in which they code their staff. The Health and Social Care Information Centre seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data but responsibility for data accuracy lies with the organisations providing the data. Methods are continually being updated to improve data quality where changes impact on figures already published. This is assessed, but unless it is significant at national level, figures are not changed. Impact at detailed or local level is footnoted in relevant analyses. Source: Health and Social Care Information Centre non-medical workforce census.

Pancreatic Cancer

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to improve the information and advice supplied to nurses providing care and support to pancreatic cancer patients.

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps his Department has taken to benefit from the experience of patients with pancreatic cancer;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to improve communications between health care professionals and relatives and carers of patients with pancreatic cancer.

Anna Soubry: To improve the information supplied to nurses providing care and support for pancreatic cancer patients, the Department funded the National Cancer Action Team (now part of NHS Improving Quality) to undertake a series of actions to improve the experience of cancer patients. This included developing a national advanced communication skills training programme; developing an assessment and feedback tool to promote better working between cancer teams in trusts and a quality improvement toolkit for nurses.
	An information prescription provides up-to-date and accurate information from the national health service and from patient organisations. There are over 70 site-specific information pathways for cancer, including one for pancreatic cancer. The Pancreatic Cancer pathway on the Information Prescription Service provides information on all aspects of the patient journey, which can be shared with the health care professionals who are responsible for the patient's care.
	The pathways include prevention, symptom awareness, referral, diagnosis, staging, treatment, follow up, recurrence and advanced disease. The pathway explains what pancreatic cancer is and how it can be treated and provides advice on the side effects of treatment. A variety of supportive care information is also available which covers diet, free prescriptions, getting travel insurance and advice on living with the disease.
	The Improving Outcomes in Cancer guidance published by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) sets out best practice treatment and support for patients in the provision of care for a range of cancer types, including pancreatic cancer.
	To support a positive experience of care, the guidance highlights the importance of effective communication, providing good quality information to patients and supporting access to Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS). The role of CNS is especially important in facilitating continuing good communication; contact with a trained and experienced nurse can reduce patients' anxiety, depression and physical symptoms. The guidance recommends that cancer patients should have the name and contact number for a particular nurse, and should, whenever possible, see and speak to the same nurse.
	The above elements of NICE'S Improving Outcomes guidance will continue to be a feature of all commissioned cancer services from April 2013.
	Through the 2010 and 2011-12 National Cancer Patient Experience Surveys, published in August last year, we have continued to monitor patients' experience of NHS cancer care. Questions within the surveys have covered important issues such as access to CNS, patient information and effective communication, as well as a range of other areas key to the delivery of high quality cancer care and improved outcomes.
	The 2011-12 survey recorded the views of over 71,000 cancer patients, including those with pancreatic cancer. 88% of pancreatic cancer patients said their care was excellent or very good.
	Quality Health, the survey provider, has identified the responses of pancreatic cancer patients from the upper gastro-intestinal cancer grouping to enable comparison of their experience against those of other cancers. The survey results are helping trusts to identify areas in cancer care that need improvement locally and to raise standards across the service.

Prostatitis

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many men were diagnosed with (a) prostatitis and (b) benign prostatic hyperplasia in each primary care trust area in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many men were diagnosed with (a) prostatitis and (b) benign prostatic hyperplasia in each local authority area in England in each of the last five years;
	(3)  how many men were diagnosed with (a) prostatitis and (b) benign prostatic hyperplasia in each parliamentary constituency in England in each of the last five years.

Anna Soubry: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave him on 20 March 2013, Official Report, column 715W.

Public Expenditure

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the estimated Resource DEL underspend in financial year 2012-13 of £1.4 billion as set out in Table 2.5 of the Budget 2013 Red Book which service areas in his Department received reduced resources; what the amounts of resource reduction were; and if he will make a statement.

Daniel Poulter: Table 2.5 of the Budget 2013 Red Book shows the difference between Budget 2012 plans and latest forecast of expenditure for 2012-13. For the Department of Health, the table shows an estimated Resource Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) underspend of £1.4 billion against the Budget 2012 plans.
	This underspend has arisen mainly because of higher than planned surpluses in the national health service and underspends on central programme expenditure.
	The Department has committed to make NHS organisations' underspends available to them in future years to help deliver high quality, sustainable health services for patients.
	The Government is delivering on its commitment to increase health spending. Health spending in 2012-13 will be 1% higher in real terms than last year (based on Budget forecast).
	The Department will set out its spending for the year in detail in its annual accounts in the usual way.

Self-harm: East Midlands

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of levels of self-harm in (a) Ashfield constituency, (b) Nottinghamshire and (c) the east Midlands; and what steps he is taking to reduce such incidences of self-harm.

Norman Lamb: The Department has made no assessment of the levels of self-harm in the above named areas.
	The numbers of finished admission episodes (FAEs)(1) with a cause code(2) of self-harm for residents of Ashfield constituency(3), Nottinghamshire County Primary Care Trust (PCX)(4)( )area and East Midlands Strategic Health Authority (SHA)(4) area, for 2011-12, the most recent period for which data is available, are shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Activity in English NHS Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector 
			 Patients resident in: FAEs 
			 Ashfield constituency 187 
			 Nottinghamshire County PCT 1,126 
			 East Midlands SHA 9,225 
		
	
	
		
			 (1) The data provided only include admissions for in-patient care for self-harm. Any incidences of self-harm that are either not reported to a health care professional or are treated in a primary care setting will not be included. (2) A finished admission episode (FAE) is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. FAEs are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of inpatients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. Cause code—a supplementary code that indicates the nature of any external cause of injury, poisoning or other adverse effects. Only the first external cause code which is coded within the episode is counted in HES. (3) Parliamentary constituency of residence—the parliamentary constituency containing the patient's normal home address. This does not necessarily reflect where the patient was treated as they may have travelled to another parliamentary constituency for treatment. This field is only available from 2008-09 onwards. (4) SHA/PCT of residence—the strategic health authority (SHA) or primary care trust (PCT) containing the patient's normal home address. This does not necessarily reflect where the patient was treated as they may have travelled to another SHA/PCT for treatment. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The NHS Information Centre for health and social care 
		
	
	The Department currently funds the Multi-Centre Study on Self-harm which collects data on episodes and trends in self-harm. The Multicentre study has had departmental funding of £2 million over five years.
	Our Suicide Prevention Strategy (September 2012) recognises those with a history of self-harm may be at higher risk of suicide, and the Department will continue to support high-quality research on suicide, suicide prevention and self-harm through the National Institute for Health Research and the Policy Research Programme. This programme will collect and analyse data on suicide and self-harm; evaluate different forms of risk assessment following self-harm; develop guidelines on the management of episodes of self-harm where individuals have made advance decisions on treatment; and develop resources for parents of young people who self-harm.
	The suicide prevention strategy is backed by up to £1.5 million for suicide prevention research through the Policy Research Programme including a substantial amount of work to look at the issue of self-harm. We will know what awards have been made in spring 2013.
	We have made it clear that mental and physical health have to be seen as equally important. For suicide prevention, this will mean effectively managing the mental health aspects, as well as any physical injuries, when people who have self-harmed come to accident and emergency. It will also mean having an effective 24-hour response to mental health crises, as well as for physical health.

Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) nurses, (b) doctors and (c) surgeons were employed at (i) King's Mill Hospital and (ii) Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in each of the last four years.

Daniel Poulter: Information on numbers of staff employed at individual hospitals is not collected centrally.
	Numbers of full-time equivalent qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff, and medical and dental staff employed at Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in each of the last four years, for which data is available are shown in the following table.
	
		
			     Full-time equivalents 
			 At 30 September each year: 2009 2010 2011 2012 
			 Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 982 1,026 1,080 1,058 
			 All doctors 361 378 375 381 
			 Of which:     
			 Doctors within the surgical group 95 99 102 100 
			 Sources: Health and Social Care Information Centre Medical and Dental Workforce Census. Health and Social Care Information Centre Non-Medical Workforce Census.

Staff

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department holds on the names of all staff members, about whom information is releaseable, employed in Sir David Nicholson's private office since 2008; what positions each such person held; and when the (a) commencement and (b) termination of their employment was.

Daniel Poulter: The Department's practice is not to release named information on employees below deputy director (SCS) level. Since 2008, the following individuals have held senior civil service roles in Sir David Nicholson's Private Office:
	Jo-Anne Wass was seconded from the national health service to the Department as Sir David Nicholson's chief of staff from 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2012;
	Jo Lenaghan was seconded from the NHS to the Department as Sir David Nicholson's chief adviser from 9 October 2006 to 23 August 2010;
	Ralph Coulbeck was deputy director—policy advisor from 1 April 2011 to 12 August 2012;
	Lawrence Tallon was deputy director—principal business manager from 24 December 2007 to 7 June 2011; and,
	Jane Robinson was seconded from the NHS to the Department as deputy director—communication advisor from 4 August 2008 to 17 September 2010.
	Since August 2012, the day to day running of Sir David Nicholson's departmental private office has been fulfilled at a more junior grade.

Staff

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the names are of all staff members, about whom information is releaseable, who worked in each of his Department's Ministerial offices since 2003; what position each such person held; and when the (a) commencement and (b) termination of their employment was.

Daniel Poulter: The Department's practice is not to release named data on employees below senior civil servant (SCS).
	There is only one SCS role in the ministerial private offices, which is that of the principal private secretary to the Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt). Information about the postholders from 2003 is given as follows:
	
		
			 Postholder Date 
			 Kristen McLeod March 2013 - date 
			 Withheld as the incumbent was covering the role at Grade 6 September 2012 - March 2013 
			 Paul Macnaught November 2009 - September 2012 
			 Maeve Walsh November 2007 - November 2009 
			 Clara Swinson September 2005 - November 2007 
			 Dominic Hardy June 2003 - September 2005 
			 Withheld as the incumbent was covering the role at Grade 6 Pre 2003 - June 2003

Tattooing

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will bring forward legislative proposals to better regulate the tattoo industry;
	(2)  if he will take steps to reduce the number of unlicensed tattooists.

Anna Soubry: The Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), currently provides local authorities with the powers to regulate the hygiene and cleanliness of businesses providing tattooing/semi-permanent skin-colouring, cosmetic piercing, acupuncture and electrolysis; through the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982.
	There are no current plans to revise legislation regulating the tattooing industry in England.

Tattooing

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been admitted to hospital with infections due to tattoos in the last three years.

Anna Soubry: The data collected on causes of hospital admissions do not allow separate identification of infections due to tattoos.

Tourette's Syndrome

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration he has given to including indicators on the diagnosis and treatment of Tourette's syndrome in the remit of the NHS Commissioning Board; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Lamb: The mandate to the NHS Commissioning Board sets out the Government's ambitions for the health service for the next two years. It includes an objective for the NHS Commissioning Board to make measurable progress towards making the national health service among the best in Europe at supporting people with ongoing health problems to live healthily and independently, with much better control over the care they receive.
	The Mandate will be refreshed annually to ensure it remains relevant and up to date following consultation in line with the requirements set out in the Health and Social Care Act 2012. The case for adding new objectives will be considered as part of the process for developing future mandates.
	The NHS Commissioning Board is in the process of appointing a new National Clinical Director for chronic disability and neurological conditions who will provide clinical leadership in determining priorities with key stakeholders including for people with Tourette's syndrome.

Visual Impairment

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what level of social care costs were incurred by (a) vision impairment and sight loss and (b) vision impairment and sight loss caused by age-related macular degeneration by local authority, in each of the last five years for which data are available.

Norman Lamb: Data on local authority expenditure on personal social services for adults is collected and published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC).
	However, this data is not broken down by specific conditions, so the HSCIC is unable to provide the requested information.

Visual Impairment

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if his Department will make an assessment of the economic burden of (a) vision impairment and sight loss and (b) vision impairment and sight loss caused by age-related macular degeneration on (i) the NHS and (ii) social care services in each of the last five years for which data are available.

Daniel Poulter: The Department has not made an assessment of the economic burden associated with visual impairment and sight loss. Recent estimates of the costs of blindness and visual impairment are contained in a study commissioned by the Royal Institute of Blind People in 2009(1).
	(1) Future sight loss UK: The economic impact of partial sight and blindness in the UK adult population. June 2009

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Council Tax: Disability

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local authorities intend to charge council tax to disabled people following the introduction of council tax support in April 2013; and what reports he has received of the rates which such local authorities are planning to charge.

Brandon Lewis: Information regarding the design of local schemes is not held centrally.
	Councils already set council tax, collect it and administer the benefit and it makes sense for them to decide the levels of support people should receive with their council tax bills. Councils are best placed to understand local priorities and to take these local factors into account when deciding on levels of support. Councils are not required to report to Government on the detail of their local scheme.
	Councils already have clearly defined responsibilities in relation to equalities groups and their most vulnerable citizens. This includes, for example, through their responsibilities under:
	the Equalities Act 2010, which introduces a duty on local authorities to eliminate discrimination and advance equality;
	the Child Poverty Act 2010, which imposes a duty on local authorities to have regard to and address child poverty;
	the Housing Act 1996, which gives local authorities a duty to prevent homelessness with special regard to vulnerable groups.
	The Department for Communities and Local Government has published guidance to ensure that local authorities understand their existing responsibilities in relation to vulnerable groups.

Electrical Safety: Inspections

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many notifications his Department expects to be made through its third party inspection regime; and how many such certifiers it expects to register.

Don Foster: We estimate that DIYers, jobbing builders and electricians who are not registered with competent person self-certification schemes carry out around 60,000 notifiable jobs annually. We expect that the majority of these notifications will move to third party certifiers. We have made no estimate of the number of registered certifiers. Further details can be found in the relevant impact assessment at:
	www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-regulations-part-p-electrical-safety-in-dwellings

Electrical Safety: Inspections

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department will take to promote the use of the third party inspection and testing register to those who undertake DIY electrical work.

Don Foster: The Electrical Safety Council is about to mount a campaign to raise awareness of electrical safety, which the Department has agreed to support. The campaign will provide an opportunity to encourage those who undertake DIY electrical work to have their work inspected and tested by a third party certifier. It will target DIY retailers as well as consumers and electricians.

Electrical Safety: Inspections

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the effects of his proposed third party inspection and testing regime for notifiable electrical work on the standard of home electrical installations.

Don Foster: We do not expect the introduction of third party certification to have any significant impact on the standard of home electrical installations. Part P of the Building Regulations (Electrical safety—Dwellings), which was amended on 6 April, calls for all electrical installation work in homes to follow the rules in the British Standard BS 7671 (the IET Wiring Regulations). However, the proposed third party certification regime should reduce the costs of certification, which may provide a greater incentive for DIYers to have their work properly inspected and tested.

Empty Property: Yorkshire and the Humber

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many vacant and unused homes there are in (a) Brigg and Goole constituency and (b) Yorkshire and the Humber; what plans he has to promote the use of vacant and unused homes; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: Data for Brigg and Goole constituency are not collected centrally. The constituency falls within the combined local authority districts of East Riding of Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire.
	As outlined in the written ministerial statement of 18 September 2012, Official Report, column 31-33WS, my Department no longer publishes statistics by government office region.
	Statistics on vacant dwellings in each local authority are published in the Department's live table 615 which is available at the following link. Previously published figures by region can be found in live tables 611 and 613:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-dwelling-stock-including-vacants
	In addition to £160 million the Government have already committed to bringing over 11,200 empty homes back into use, a further bidding round to bring a worth around £75 million is underway to bring a further 5,000 empty properties back into use.

Fire Services

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what his policy is on contracting out core fire and rescue services;
	(2)  when he plans to publish details of his proposals to allow fire and rescue authorities to outsource services to mutuals or other organisations;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of legislative changes that would be required to (a) create mutuals that could deliver fire and rescue services and (b) put in place protections against any future privatisation of these services;
	(4)  what assessment he has made of the support or otherwise for outsourcing core fire and rescue services amongst (a) firefighters, (b) other fire service staff and (c) the public;
	(5)  what recent discussions he has had with the Chief Fire Officers' Association on proposals to open up delivery of fire and rescue services to other organisations;
	(6)  if he will publish details of the dates, agendas and outcomes of meetings (a) he or (b) his officials have held with the Cleveland Fire Authority Chairman over the last 18 months;
	(7)  if he will publish details of the dates, agendas and outcomes of meetings (a) he or (b) his officials have held with the Cleveland Chief Fire Officer over the last 18 months.

Brandon Lewis: I and my officials meet with representatives from external interest groups, such as fire and rescue authorities, from time to time on a whole range of issues and details of meetings are published regularly. My position on mutuals has already been set out in my answers of 5 March 2013, Official Report, column 931W and 7 March 2013, Official Report, column 1121W.

Fire Services

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he made of fire service capacity to respond to terrorist attacks, public disorder and other national incidents as part of his plans to contract out 999 services.

Brandon Lewis: Assessment of fire service capacity is entirely a matter for individual fire and rescue authorities, who are required under the 2012 Fire and Rescue National Framework to identify and assess the full range of foreseeable fire and rescue related risks their areas face, make provision for prevention and protection activities and respond to incidents appropriately.

Fire Services

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the annual percentage change in total revenue spending power for fire authorities in England was (a) in each year since 2010 and (b) in each year to 2014-15.

Brandon Lewis: The annual percentage change in total revenue spending power for single service fire and rescue authorities outside London from 2010-11 are shown as follows.
	
		
			  Percentage 
			 2010-11 to 2011-12 2.2 
			 2011-12 to 2012-13 0.5 
			 2012-13 to 2013-14 4.7 
			 2013-14 to 2014-15 (1)3.3 
			 (1) Indicative figures only. 
		
	
	As I outlined in my statement of 17 December 2012, Official Report, columns 69-70WS, there is significant scope for fire and rescue authorities to make sensible savings, such as through reforms to flexible staffing and crewing arrangements, better procurement, shared services, collaboration with emergency services and other organisations on service delivery and estates, sickness management, sharing of senior staff, locally led mergers and operational collaborations, new fire-fighting technology, preventative approaches and working with local businesses.

Fire Services

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the annual percentage change in central formula funding grant for fire authorities in England was in (a) each year since 2010 and (b) each year to 2014-15.

Brandon Lewis: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 21 March 2013, Official Report, columns 767-68W.

Fracking: Planning Permission

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will consider ways to increase the weight to be attached to local referendums by the decison-maker in a planning application or appeal relating to a fracking rig installation.

Nicholas Boles: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 5 February 2013, Official Report, column 127W. The views of local communities can already be taken into account by decision-makers in the determination of planning applications, and the weight to be attached to the material planning considerations in those representations should be based on the individual circumstances of the application or the appeal.

Hotels

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what costs his Department incurred in respect of hotels for (a) staff and (b) Ministers since May 2010.

Brandon Lewis: Reflecting our responsibilities for local government, housing, planning and communities, the work of the Department involves staff travelling to different parts of the country. As time allows, Ministers also undertake official visits, some of which may require overnight accommodation.
	However, since May 2010, my Department has taken a series of steps to increase value for money and deliver sensible savings, as reflected by the following table.
	
		
			 Hotel spending Amount (£) 
			 2009-10 498,471 
			 2010-11 296,333 
			 2011-12 215,079 
			 April 2012 - December 2012 154,206 
		
	
	The breakdown is as follows:
	
		
			 £ 
			  Ministers Staff 
			 2010-11 169 296,164 
			 2011-12 528 214,551 
			 April 2012 - December 2012 539 153,667

Housing: Planning Permission

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government of the major housing decisions made in 2012, how many were contrary to the (a) draft and (b) adopted local development plan; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: We do not collect data in the form requested for all individual local authority decisions. For Secretary of State decisions handled by the Planning Inspectorate, 449 major dwelling decisions were taken in 2012 of which 210 were allowed. An assessment of how many of these decisions were contrary to the draft or adopted local development plan could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Planning applications should be considered on their individual merits, and planning law requires that they must be determined in accordance with the development plan, unless material considerations indicate otherwise.

Local Government Finance: Tees Valley

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations he has received from (a) council leaders and (b) directly-elected mayors in the Tees Valley on the effect of reductions in grants to local authorities from central Government.

Brandon Lewis: Consultation on the Local Government Finance Settlement for 2013-14 ended on 15 January 2013. Representations were received from the mayor of Hartlepool and from officials from Middlesbrough and Stockton-on-Tees councils.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if the extension to the Government's FirstBuy scheme announced in Budget 2013 will apply to part-rent/part-buy properties.

Mark Prisk: From 1 April, the Government, under Help to Buy, is providing buyers with an equity loan of up to 20% of the cost of a new build property valued up to £600,000. Following implementation we will work with partners, including lenders and housebuilders, to keep the scheme under review, as we have with other schemes.

Official Hospitality

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what costs his Department has incurred in respect of refreshments and hospitality for meetings since May 2010.

Brandon Lewis: I refer the hon. Member to my answer to him of 19 March 2013, Official Report, column 625W, outlining how there is now no substantive expenditure on refreshments for Ministers.
	I also refer the hon. Member to my answer of 19 December 2012, Official Report, column 837W, outlining how we have dramatically reduced expenditure relative to the last Administration.
	That latter answer understates the full trajectory of the reductions, as 40% of the figure given in that answer for April 2012 to October 2012 was delayed billing from the previous financial year.
	The limited expenditure that we do undertake primarily relates to the frequent conferences and seminars that my Department holds with representatives from external organisations.

Overview and Scrutiny Committees

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance is given to local authorities about the appointment of scrutiny committee chairs where local authorities have a significant number of councillors who do not belong to the party in overall control.

Brandon Lewis: The appointment of scrutiny committee chairs is a local matter for each council to decide.

Pay

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he has taken to ensure that contractors providing services to his Department are paying the living wage to all employees engaged in that particular contract; and if he will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis: holding answer 28 January 2013
	The Government supports the living wage and encourages business to take it up where possible and affordable. However, the decision on what wages to set is for individual employers and workers.
	More broadly, from April 2013, the Government has raised the personal income allowance to £9,440—an income tax cut for 24 million tax payers—which will particularly help those on local incomes. The recent Budget announced the personal allowance will rise again to £10,000 from April 2014.

Property Rights

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he plans to introduce any restrictions on the right to light.

Nicholas Boles: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 5 March 2013, Official Report, column 935W.

Public Expenditure

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Budget 2013 Red Book, Table 2.5, which capital projects are no longer proceeding as a consequence of the underspend by his Department in 2012-13; and if he will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis: Table 2.5 of the Budget 2013 Red Book shows the difference between Budget 2012 plans and Departments’ latest estimates of their full-year position.
	In addition to forecast under spend against final plans, since Budget 2012 the Department surrendered a total of £300 million of CDEL at supplementary estimates. The £300 million represents a net figure of the following breakdown; -£421 million is available for future years through the Budget Exchange mechanism and switched +£42 million from its resource budget to the capital budget. It has also received +£79 million from other Government Departments.
	The Department will set out its spending for the year in detail in its annual accounts in the usual way.

Public Expenditure

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the estimated Resource DEL underspend in financial year 2012-13 of £500 million as set out in Table 2.5 of the Budget 2013 Red Book which service areas in his Department received reduced resources; what the amounts of resource reduction were; and if he will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis: Table 2.5 of the Budget 2013 Red Book shows the difference between Budget 2012 plans and Departments’ latest estimates of their full-year position.
	In addition to forecast under spend against final plans, since Budget 2012 the Department surrendered £280 million of RDEL at supplementary estimates, of which £206 million is available for future years through the Budget Exchange mechanism and switched £42 million from its resource budget to the capital budget. It has also transferred £50 million to other Government Departments. Furthermore it received a reserve claim of £18 million paid at supplementary estimates.
	The Department will set out its spending for the year in detail in its annual accounts in the usual way.

Sick Leave

Marcus Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many days of paid sickness leave per individual member of staff are authorised in his Department on an annual basis.

Brandon Lewis: For the 12 months to December 2012, a total of 12,315 days were paid as sickness leave. Staff in the Department had a total of 691,563 estimated calendar days of possible attendance hence this represents 1.8% of total staff working time. Our absence rate was 6.1 average working days lost per member of staff. This is lower than the civil service average of 7.6 days and below the private sector average of 7.1 (based on the CIPD20 measure).
	In line with civil service practice, the Department pays individual members of staff for sick leave on the following basis:
	Full pay for any cumulative sick leave up to six months in any 12 month period, and;
	Half pay for any cumulative sick leave which exceeds six months but does not exceed 12 months in any four year period.
	Staff exceeding 12 months cumulative sick leave in any four year period do not receive any sick pay.
	The Department is taking a number of steps to reduce sick absence:
	A self-test stress indicator tool for staff members, to help their line managers identify measures they can put in place to tackle workplace stress.
	Intranet information pages to inform staff on ways in which they can maximise their physical and mental health.
	Access to a 24 hour Employee Assistance helpline which offers advice and support on a wide range of issues, including sick absence.
	The Department has a short-term sick absence policy which line managers use to support staff back to work and manage down any absences.
	The Department will be introducing a comprehensive policy for managing long-term absence. This will significantly improve the management and resolution of such cases.

Sick Leave

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many days (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies has lost to staff sickness in each of the last five years; and what estimate he has made of the cost of such absence in each year.

Brandon Lewis: For the 12 months to December 2012, our departmental absence rate was 6.1 average working days lost per member of staff. This is lower than the civil service average of 7.6 days and below the private sector average of 7.1 (based on the CIPD20 measure). The following table provides the detailed figures requested:
	
		
			 Average working days lost to sickness absence 
			 Organisation/12 month period ending March 2008 March 2009 March 2010 March 2011 March 2012 
			 DCLG 13,835 12,538 11,701 14,334 13,490 
			 Fire Service College 2,071 N/A 2,012 1,937 2,340 
			 Planning Inspectorate 6,798 6,445.5 5,915 5,615 3,829 
			 Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre 523 714 295 292 186 
			 Ordnance Survey N/A 10,310 6,439 4,332 N/A 
			 Notes: The Fire Service College did not submit figures for March 2009. Responsibility for Ordnance Survey transferred to BIS in July 2011. Their first return to DCLG was. for the period ending September 2008 so no March 2008 return is held for them. 
		
	
	The estimated cost of absence in each 12 month period ending March for the Department is as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			 March 2008 1,295,569 
			 March 2009 1,255,457 
			 March 2010 1,167,065 
			 March 2011 1,334,196 
			 March 2012 1,223,402 
		
	
	This compares to the Department's total pay bill of £109 million a year in 2011-12.
	Figures on absence rates in the Department's non-departmental public bodies are not held centrally. Figures on the estimated cost of absence in the Department's agencies and non-departmental public bodies are not held centrally.
	The Department is taking a number of steps to reduce sick absence:
	A self-test stress indicator tool for staff members, to help their line managers identify measures they can put in place to tackle workplace stress.
	Intranet information pages to inform staff on ways in which they can maximise their physical and mental health.
	Access to a 24 hour Employee Assistance helpline which offers advice and support on a wide range of issues, including sick absence.
	The Department has a short term sick absence policy which line managers use to support staff back to work and manage down any absences. We will also be introducing a comprehensive policy for managing long term absence. This will significantly improve the management and resolution of such cases.

Social Rented Housing: Asbestos

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will bring forward legislative proposals to require local authorities to carry out asbestos surveys on all of their social housing stocks.

Mark Prisk: Local authorities are required to ensure that their homes meet the Decent Homes standard, including the absence of serious “category 1” hazards as determined under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System. Asbestos is one of the risks which is considered under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System.
	We do not believe there is a need to require local authorities to carry out further surveys.

Telephone Services

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for each of the principal access numbers operated by (a) his Department and (b) the agencies for which he is responsible, what revenue has been retained by (i) the telephone provider for that line and (ii) his Department in each of the last three years.

Brandon Lewis: Each of the principal access numbers operated by the Department and its agencies (the Planning Inspectorate and the Homes and Communities Agency) are 030 numbers.
	030 numbers were specifically designed for not-for-profit organisations, charities and public sector bodies to offer consumers a single point of contact nationally. Calls cost no more than calls to geographic (01 and 02) numbers and are included in inclusive minutes and discount schemes in the same way.
	The Department and its agencies retain no revenue from these numbers. The Department holds no information about the revenue retained by the telephone line providers for these lines.

Telephone Services

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which telephone lines are operated by (a) his Department and (b) the agencies for which he is responsible for public inquiries or other services; what the (i) principal access number and (ii) telephone service provider is for each number; and which such lines (A) are free to the caller and (B) may incur a charge to the caller.

Brandon Lewis: The Department for Communities and Local Government uses a low cost number 030 3444 0000 for public inquiries. The telephone service provider for DCLG is Damovo UK Ltd.
	The general inquiries number of the Planning Inspectorate is 0303 444 5000. The telephone service provider for the Planning Inspectorate is Damovo UK Ltd.
	The Homes and Communities Agency also has one principal access number, 0300 1234 500. The telephone service provider is British Telecommunications plc.
	030 numbers were specifically designed for not-for-profit organisations, charities and public sector bodies to offer consumers a single point of contact nationally. Calls cost no more than calls to geographic (01 and 02) numbers and are included in inclusive minutes and discount schemes in the same way. The Department retains no revenue from these numbers.

Training

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many away days his Department has organised for its own staff since May 2010; and what the (a) purpose and (b) cost has been of such away days.

Brandon Lewis: Towards the end of 2010, my Department issued new guidance to staff that team away days should take place at no or limited cost; this included encouraging the use of rooms in the Department or a neighbouring Whitehall Department. This is a significant departure from practices that took place under the last Administration.
	Our finance system shows that in 2008-09 and 2009-10, the last Administration spent at least £196,585 and £137,678 respectively on away days.
	By contrast, I have placed a table in the Library of the House, which shows how we have reduced spending to £1,492 in 2010-11, £3,318 in 2011-12 and £870 in 2012-13. This represents just 1% of the previous Administration's average annual spend, and shows the scope for making sensible savings in the public sector.
	The bulk of this expenditure relates to events where staff, based around the country, formerly from the regional development agencies or the Government office for the regions, came together to be briefed on the departmental restructuring as part of the abolition of the regional bodies and the transfer of residual functions. These were not 'away days' as such, but I have included them in the interests of transparency.
	In addition to the information in the table, I also refer the hon. Member to the answer of 13 July 2011, Official Report, column 361W, on the hiring of a burlesque club commissioned under the last Administration.

Training

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what costs his Department has incurred in respect of (a) staff training and (b) leadership courses since May 2010.

Brandon Lewis: There is a business case for staff to maintain and build their specialist skills and further their professional development to help them do their jobs better.
	The following table, based on information contained in our departmental audited annual accounts for the core department, shows how administrative spending on the category 'training and conferences’ has fallen. It also illustrates total staff costs.
	
		
			 £ 
			  Spending on ‘training and conferences’ Staff costs 
			 2009-10 6.2 million 216 million 
			 2010-11 3.2 million 184 million 
			 2011-12 408,000 109 million 
		
	
	We do not hold figures on the total spending on leadership courses since May 2010.
	I would add that civil service learning was established in April 2011 in response to a wide ranging review of the delivery of training in the civil service. The new model recognises the need for the civil service to get better value out of its investment in training, reduce duplication in the procurement of learning solutions and make greater use of the external market to provide the training which the civil service requires.
	These reforms will save taxpayers’ money and improve the overall quality of training provision.

Training

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many away days his Department has held since 2010; and what the cost was of each such event.

Brandon Lewis: holding answer 28 January 2013
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for North Durham (Mr Jones) today, PQ 135403.

Travellers

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 26 February 2013, Official Report, column 383W, on Travellers, 
	(1)  if he will list the members of the Ministerial Working Group (a) before and (b) after the Cabinet reshuffle of September 2012;
	(2)  whether his Department plans to publish a second report in 2013;
	(3)  what progress he has made in respect of the 28 commitments announced in April 2012.

Don Foster: The progress report by the Ministerial Working Group on reducing inequalities experienced by Gypsies and Travellers was published in April 2012. It includes 28 commitments from across Government that will help mainstream services support Gypsies and Travellers. The report also says that the Government intends to produce another report once we have had the opportunity to assess progress in delivering against those commitments. We are currently doing so. The Members of the Ministerial Working Group are listed in the progress report, and the list has not formally been revised since the ministerial reshuffle in September 2012. However, the Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, the hon. Member for Great Yarmouth (Brandon Lewis), is now the DCLG ministerial representative and I can confirm that officials from all the relevant Government Departments are involved in reviewing progress on the Ministerial Working Group commitments.

Travellers

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department is taking to facilitate community involvement in the preparation of its Roma Strategy.

Don Foster: European Union member states agreed Council Conclusions on Roma integration in May 2011, in which they made commitments to advance the integration of Roma (including Gypsies and Travellers) either through national strategies or through wider social inclusion policies. The Government submitted a report to the European Commission in March 2012 setting out how we are advancing Roma, Gypsy and Traveller integration through wider policies for integration and inclusion. Officials from the Department for Communities and Local Government meet regularly with Gypsy, Traveller and Roma organisations to discuss issues of interest to their communities, particularly through the DCLG Gypsy and Traveller Liaison Group and the local authority-led National Roma Network. Items on the agenda of recent meetings have included updates on developments since the May 2011 Council Conclusions and progress made by Government Departments in meeting commitments made in the April 2012 report of the Ministerial Working Group on reducing inequalities experienced by Gypsies and Travellers.

Urban Areas

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what data his Department holds on trends in footfall in town centres over the last 20 years

Mark Prisk: The Department does not hold any information on the trends in footfall in town centres over the last 20 years.

Urban Areas

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which locations have been successful applicants to the Town Team; and how much funding has been granted to such towns since the start of the pilot scheme.

Mark Prisk: The following 27 town teams in England successfully applied to become Portas pilots and received a total of £2,564,881:
	
		
			 Portas pilot Amount awarded (£) 
			 Ashford, Kent 100,000 
			 Bedford, Bedfordshire 51,260 
			 Bedminster, Bristol 100,000 
			 Berwick, Northumberland 100,000 
			 Braintree, Essex 86,500 
			 Brighton (London Road),West Sussex 86,485 
			 Chrisp Street, Roman Road and Watney Markets, Tower Hamlets(1) 99,000 
			 Croydon, Greater London 100,000 
			 Dartford, Kent 79,000 
			 Hatfield, Hertfordshire 100,000 
			 Leamington (Old Town), Warwickshire 100,000 
			 Liskeard, Cornwall 100,000 
			 Liverpool (Lodge Lane), Merseyside 100,000 
			 Loughborough, East Midlands 100,000 
			 Lowestoft, Suffolk 100,000 
			 Margate, Kent 100,000 
			 Market Rasen, Lincolnshire 98,599 
			 Morecombe, Lancashire 100,000 
			 Nelson, Lancashire 100,000 
			 Newbiggin by the Sea, Northumberland 94,300 
			 Rotherham, South Yorkshire 100,000 
			 SEE3 (Forest Hill, Kirkdale and Sydenham), Lewisham(1) 80,000 
			 Stockport, Greater Manchester 100,000 
			 Stockton on Tees, North Yorkshire 92,000 
			 Tiverton, Somerset 100,000 
			 Waterloo Quarter, Lambeth(1) 97,737 
			 Wolverhampton, West Midlands 100,000 
			 (1) Funded by the Greater London Authority 
		
	
	In addition, 333 town teams out of a potential 393 registered to become a Town Team Partner and now have access to the support package we have provided, which includes £10,000 for each town team to help deliver their proposals. Only town teams who were unsuccessful in the Portas pilot competition were eligible to apply to become Town Team Partners. A list of Town Team Partners can be found on the Department's website:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/improving-high-streets-and-town-centres

Urban Areas

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress he is making on the interim findings of the Town Team pilot.

Mark Prisk: Following the Mary Portas review published in December 2011, we have been addressing the problems facing the high street. My report of high street progress, which I published on 25 March, describes the work that has gone on over the past year. It can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-future-of-high-streets
	But I do recognise that more needs to be done which is why I have established the Future High Streets Forum. The forum, which had its first meeting on 25 March, builds on the work of the Portas pilots and Town Team Partners and brings together leaders across retail, property, business, academics, third sector, civil society and government to better understand the competition town centres across the country face and to drive forward new ideas and policies to help revive the high street. Full details of the Future High Street Forum can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/policy-advisory-groups/future-high-streets-forum

WORK AND PENSIONS

Airdrie

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the number of people normally resident in Airdrie and Shotts constituency who are employed by his Department.

Mark Hoban: The number of people employed by the DWP resident in Airdrie and Shotts constituency is 271.

Children: Maintenance

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of Child Support Agency cases with a current positive liability have received payment (a) in full, (b) in part and (c) not at all in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Steve Webb: The following table shows over the last four quarters the number of CSA cases where maintenance is due, split by how much of the requested maintenance was paid in full, in part or not at all.
	
		
			   Paying in full Paying part Not paying Assessed not charging 
			 Quarter Ending: No. of cases where maintenance is due No. % No. % No. % No. % 
			 March 2012 872,900 510,500 58 185,300 21 141,000 16 36,000 4 
			 June 2012 864,600 522,400 60 174,100 20 133,800 15 34,300 4 
		
	
	
		
			 September 2012 872,800 521,000 60 177,200 20 140,500 16 34,100 4 
			 December 2012 882,200 515,100 58 186,400 21 147,600 17 33,100 4 
		
	
	Cases are classed as having maintenance due if an ongoing liability to pay maintenance exists, or if arrears of maintenance exist and payment has been requested.
	Cases that have a positive liability but no active charging schedule in place are classed as 'assessed not charging'.
	Figures may not sum to 100% due to rounding.

Children: Maintenance

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many non-resident parents are currently paying maintenance who have been assessed by the Child Support Agency between 1993 and 2003.

Steve Webb: In the quarter to December 2012, there were 150,200 non-resident parents with a positive maintenance outcome, where their case is assessed under the 1993 scheme or was originally assessed under the 1993 scheme and has now been converted to the 2003 scheme.
	A case is classed as having a positive maintenance outcome if a payment has been received via the collections service in the quarter, or if a maintenance direct arrangement is in place.
	These figures do not include off system cases. A non-resident parent may be involved in more than one case, therefore these figures will not match those published in the Child Support Agency Quarterly Summary of Statistics.

Citizens Advice Scotland

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions his Department has had with Citizens Advice Scotland on a dedicated line for inquiries from citizens advice bureaux.

Mark Hoban: DWP in Scotland has regular dialogue with Citizens Advice Scotland and shares information and updates in a number of different formats, both at Scottish and local level with bureau. Escalation contact points have been shared and refreshed again with CAS recently.

Cold Weather Payments: Bassetlaw

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for how long the weather station at Waddington has been used for assessing cold weather payments for people living in the Bassetlaw area.

Steve Webb: Waddington has been used continuously as a primary station in the scheme since the cold weather payment scheme began in 1988. In the first few years weather stations were not linked to postcode districts but were instead assigned to individual counties, boroughs, districts and parishes or parts thereof.

Cold Weather Payments: Scotland

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department spent on cold weather payments in (a) Scotland and (b) Airdrie and Shotts constituency in each of the last three years for which figures are available; and how many people in Airdrie and Shotts constituency were allocated cold weather payments in (i) November 2012, (ii) December 2012 and (iii) January 2013.

Steve Webb: The cold weather payment scheme is administered at weather station area level. Information on expenditure and the number of people qualifying for cold weather payments is only available for the area covered by each weather station and not at parliamentary constituency level. Weather station coverage areas are determined by postcode and do not align with constituency boundaries. Airdrie and Shotts constituency is covered by Bishopton, Edinburgh Gogarbank and Salsburgh weather stations.
	Table 1 gives the estimated expenditure on cold weather payments in 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12 in Scotland as a whole and in respect of triggers at Bishopton, Edinburgh Gogarbank and Salsburgh weather stations. There were no triggers at Bishopton and Edinburgh Gogarbank weather stations in 2011-12.
	
		
			 Table 1: Estimated expenditure on cold weather payments between 2009-10 and 2011-12 
			 £ million 
			 Weather station 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Bishopton 25.2 24.9 0.0 
			 Edinburgh Gogarbank 9.7 7.8 0.0 
			 Salsburgh 3.6 3.3 0.5 
			     
			 Scotland total 51.1 93.9 1.8 
		
	
	Table 2 provides the estimated number of recipients of cold weather payments in November 2012, December 2012 and January at Bishopton, Edinburgh Gogarbank and Salsburgh weather stations. There were no triggers at Bishopton weather station in this period.
	
		
			 Table 2: Estimated recipients of cold weather payments between November 2012 and January 2013 
			 Weather station November 2012 December 2012 January 2013 
			 Bishopton 0 0 0 
			 Edinburgh Gogarbank 0 0 73,100 
			 Salsburgh 0 19,400 19,400 
		
	
	
		
			 Notes: 1. The information provided is Management Information. Our preference is to answer all parliamentary questions using Official/National Statistics but in this case we only have Management Information available. It is not quality assured to the same extent as Official/National Statistics. 2. The figures for Scotland only include payments made in respect of weather stations whose coverage areas lie entirely within Scotland. There are some weather station areas whose coverage crosses the England/Scotland border; as we do not know which country these recipients are in, they are excluded from the figures for Scotland. 3. The figures for the Bishopton, Edinburgh Gogarbank and Salsburgh weather stations will also cover areas outside Airdrie and Shotts. 4. Cold weather payments are made to benefit units rather than to households or individuals. A benefit unit can be a single person or a couple and can include children. The recipient volumes given are based on the number of eligible benefit units on 31 October 2012. 5. The number of recipients is not equal to the number of payments made. Recipients can receive more than one payment if the weather station triggers multiple times. 6. A cold weather payment of £25 is made when the average temperature has been recorded as, or is forecast to be 0°C or below over seven consecutive days at the weather station linked to an eligible recipient's postcode. 7. All expenditure figures have been rounded to the nearest £100,000. All recipient figures have been rounded to the nearest 100.

Contingencies Fund

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his statement of 22 March 2013, Official Report, column 64WS, on Contingencies Fund (Advance), for what reasons he is seeking a £506 million advance from the Contingencies Fund.

Mark Hoban: The £506 million Contingency Fund Advance was required due to the tabling of The Supply and Appropriation (Anticipation and Adjustments) Bill 2012-13 being later than in previous years.
	The Contingency Fund Advance request was in line with normal parliamentary processes as set out in the Estimate Guidance (see following link):
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/estimates_manual_july2011.pdf

Disability Living Allowance: Young People

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of young people who are currently in receipt of disability living allowance who will be reassessed for personal independence payment over the next 12 months as they reach their 16th birthday.

Esther McVey: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave to the right hon. Member for Stirling (Mrs McGuire) on 25 March 2013, Official Report, column 974W.

Disclosure of Information

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many civil servants in his Department have been subject to non-disclosure agreements in each year since 2010.

Mark Hoban: The Department does not use specific non-disclosure agreements but it uses settlement agreements, compromise agreements and COT3 agreements (settlement agreements entered into under the auspices of ACAS—Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) when resolving and settling issues and disputes with staff.
	The agreements may contain a non-disclosure clause which prevents the individual from disclosing or discussing the existence, negotiation and terms of the settlement. The Department considers whether such clauses are appropriate and necessary and always ensures that any non-disclosure clause allows disclosure for business needs and the requirements of law, including accountability to Parliament. The clause is not aimed at preventing staff from raising or disclosing any concerns regarding their employment which they will continue to have a right to do under whistleblowing legislation and the Department's Whistleblowing policy.
	With regard to the information requested the Department is not able to provide the information requested as its not collated centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Employment and Support Allowance: Airdrie

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Airdrie and Shotts constituency were underpaid employment and support allowance as a result of departmental error in each of the last three years; and what the total amount of any such underpayment was.

Mark Hoban: The information is not available in the format requested.

Food Banks

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he has made an assessment of the reasons for the increase in referrals to Trussell Trust foodbanks between 2009-10 and 2012-13; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: DWP does not collate or hold numbers on the usage of food banks.

Future Jobs Fund: Airdrie

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people received assistance through the future jobs fund in Airdrie and Shotts constituency in (a) 2009, (b) 2010, (c) 2011 and (d) the latest period for which figures are available.

Mark Hoban: The number of starts on placements funded by the future jobs fund in Airdrie and Shotts constituency in each calendar year are shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Calendar year Starts 
			 2009 20 
			 2010 210 
			 2011 70 
			 Notes: 1. There were no starts after 2011. 2. Due to data protection protocols, figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 3. There may be a few people who experienced more than one start on a placement funded by the future jobs fund, so the number of people starting on a placement may not exactly equal the number of starts. Source: DWP LMS opportunities evaluation database August 2011.

Housing Benefit: Barrow in Furness

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Barrow and Furness constituency are in receipt of (a) housing benefit and (b) local housing allowance; and what the average weekly sum awarded under such benefits is.

Steve Webb: The information requested is in the following table:
	
		
			 Housing benefit recipients in Barrow in Furness parliamentary constituency November 2012: Caseload and average amounts paid 
			  Total number of recipients Average weekly amount (£) 
			 All housing benefit recipients 6,370 72.07 
			 Local housing allowance recipients 2,360 74.62 
			 Notes: 1. The data refers to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple. 2. Recipients are as at the second Thursday of the month. 3. Caseloads are rounded to the nearest 10 and average weekly amounts are rounded to the nearest penny. 4. SHBE is a monthly electronic scan of claimant level data direct from local authority computer systems. It replaces quarterly aggregate clerical returns. The data is available monthly from November 2008 and November 2012 is the most recent available. Source: Single housing benefit extract (SHBE)

Housing Benefit: Scotland

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many households in Scotland with individuals aged between 25 and 35 received an exemption from the shared accommodation rate due to being clients of agencies in multi-agency public protection arrangements in 2012.

Steve Webb: This information is not available.

Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing

Alan Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his policy is on couples with a spare room who legally separate in regard to the under-occupancy penalty.

Steve Webb: A couple is entitled to claim housing benefit for one bedroom.
	When a couple separates, both members will usually live in separate accommodation and be subject to the size criteria rules as single individuals.
	In the event that they continue to reside in the same property, the local authority would be required to consider whether they are indeed not living together as husband and wife, or civil partners, but as single individuals.
	There is no single factor on which the local authority will base its decision. However, it will take into account (but not limit consideration to) factors such as the existence of a shared household, financial arrangements, and responsibility for children.
	It is the responsibility of the local authority to make a decision based on the individual circumstances of each case.

Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the ability of the private rental market in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland and (c) Airdrie and Shotts constituency to accommodate people who leave the social rented sector due to their inability to meet increased costs as a consequence of the under-occupancy penalty.

Steve Webb: The information is not available. Claimants affected have a range of possible responses open to them, including finding work, taking in a lodger or moving within the social sector. It is not yet known how individuals will respond. The Department is commissioning an independent evaluation of these reforms, which will examine the effects on and responses by social tenants, including moves.
	The private rented sector continues to accommodate housing benefit claimants. Since March 2011, the number of housing benefit claimants living in the private rented sector has increased by 7%.

Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Kingston Upon Hull North of 5 March 2013, Official Report, column 979W, on housing benefit: social rented housing, if he will place in the Library the brief and specifications for his early evaluation of the under-occupancy penalty.

Steve Webb: The full specification for the evaluation of the removal of the spare room subsidy is currently being finalised and is a working document which may be adapted, as policy develops and the evaluation progresses. There are no plans to formally publish the specification. As a broad indication, the evaluation will include small scale primary research with a range of local authorities, social landlords, claimants and voluntary organisations across England, Scotland and Wales.

Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has held with the Minister at the Department for Social Development in the Northern Ireland Executive at Stormont about the under-occupancy penalty.

Steve Webb: The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, the right hon. Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Mr Duncan Smith), has not held any recent discussions with the Minister at the Department for Social Development in the Northern Ireland Executive at Stormont about the removal of the spare room subsidy.

Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many families will be affected by the under-occupancy penalty in each region of the UK.

Steve Webb: This information is available in the equality impact assessment:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/social-sector-housing-under-occupation-wr2011-ia.pdf

Housing Benefit: Wigan

Yvonne Fovargue: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many recipients of local housing allowance in Wigan are under occupying by (a) one and (b) more than one bedroom.

Steve Webb: This information is not available.
	Local housing allowance is based on the characteristics of the household and not affected by the number of bedrooms in the property occupied. The information is therefore not needed for the housing benefit claim and is not collected by local authorities.

Industrial Health and Safety: Agriculture

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 20 March 2013, Official Report, column 691W, on Agricultural Wages Board, what the names were of all businesses (a) investigated, (b) sanctioned or (c) prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive in relation to accidents to agricultural workers.

Mark Hoban: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) does not publish information about all businesses investigated unless formal enforcement action has been taken. Information about businesses who have been the subject of formal enforcement action can be found at:
	http://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/prosecutions.htm

Jobcentre Plus

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 6 March 2013, Official Report, column 1002W, on universal credit, what assessment he has made of the work of Jobcentre Plus advisers in helping people who lack the skills or confidence to use online services to develop their digital skills.

Mark Hoban: Although a high percentage of our customers have regular access to the internet, we do understand that some do not have the necessary IT skills to search or apply for a job online, or use DWP's other digital services.
	For free training and advice customers are often referred to UK Online, Learn Direct or other partners in their local area. Alongside this, training and support is being given to Jobcentre Plus advisers to enable them to help people use online services. All Jobcentres now have a dedicated digital champion, whose role is to provide support to staff and customers. We have developed a “digital driving licence” to increase the digital skills of staff, equipping them to be confident in supporting customers to use digital services. Also, we have developed the “jobsearch in a digital age” course specifically for Jobcentre advisers. This will enable staff to support customers in using digital services to look for jobs and developing basic digital skills.
	We have completed a review of the digital champion role and the findings will inform how this role develops in the future. The review included assessment of digital champions’ skills and how they support customers in improving their digital skills and confidence.

Jobcentre Plus

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will take steps to prevent Jobcentre Plus from accepting job advertisements which require the applicant to telephone a premium rate telephone number in order to apply; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: Universal Jobmatch is DWP's online job posting and matching service for jobseekers and employers.
	The use of 070 and 09 premium rate telephone numbers is prohibited within Universal Jobmatch and their use is blocked automatically by the service. The Universal Jobmatch terms and conditions must be accepted by employers before they can use the service. By accepting these, employers agree not to use premium rate and income generating numbers (070 and 09 prefixes) when posting their jobs to the service.
	The '’Finding a Job’ area within Gov.UK contains a section called ‘Your rights and safety when looking for a job’. This includes advice to jobseekers that some job adverts have a number to call for more information, which may be a premium rate number. There is also a link to the Ofcom site which shows how to identify premium rate numbers and details the costs that can be incurred when dialling them.

Jobcentre Plus

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the Jobcentre Plus Stricter Benefit Regime.

Mark Hoban: The Stricter Benefit Regime (SBR) was introduced alongside jobseeker's allowance back in 1996. The SBR regime was refreshed in 2006 with intensified benchmark targets. We removed benchmarks in April 2011 as we believe there are no right levels for sanctions. However, we continue to collect management information to support the consistent application of the rules across the Jobcentre network. SBR has been superseded by a new Conditionality and Sanctions regime from 2012 which uses a graduated sanction to enforce the conditionality that all jobseeker's allowance claimants are subject to. There are no targets.

Jobcentre Plus

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Jobcentre employees have been put on performance plan improvement in the last 18 months.

Mark Hoban: The Department does not maintain central records of employees who have been placed under performance improvement plans. Where such plans were agreed locally as part of day to day line management, a record would not necessarily have been kept.
	The Department introduced new policies covering performance management and dealing with poor performance in 2012-13. At mid-year (in October 2012), of the 91,365 employees rated, 5,910 were informed that their performance was below standard and would be rated ‘must improve’. Of these, 3,039 were employed in Job Centres.
	Under the Department's policy, any employee rated ‘must improve’ should have a performance improvement plan.

Jobcentre Plus

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many job centres have public conveniences available for use by benefit claimants and jobseekers; and what his Department’s policy is on provision of such facilities.

Mark Hoban: In most Jobcentre Plus offices there are no public toilet facilities, and public access to the staff toilets is either not allowed or only available at the discretion of a member of staff. Jobcentres are not required to provide public conveniences for claimants or jobseekers. Local office staff will consider requests based on individual need taking into account security and health and safety considerations.

Jobcentre Plus

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what performance standards Jobcentre staff are measured against;
	(2)  what performance targets (a) Jobcentre advisers and (b) Jobcentre managers are set.

Mark Hoban: The Department has two operational targets for these staff: off flows from benefit and monetary value of fraud and error. Jobcentre advisers and managers agree individual key work objectives with their line manager to support these targets.

Jobcentre Plus

Yvonne Fovargue: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions who is responsible for ensuring that benefit claimants' personal details remain confidential in cases where staff other than Jobcentre Plus staff are involved in processing claims.

Mark Hoban: In accordance with the Data Protection Act, the Department will be the data controller in respect of claims for benefits administered by the Department. In cases where third parties administer claims on behalf of the Department, those organisations will have the legal status of data processor in accordance with the Act, and contracts will set out the Department's formal requirements for protecting claimants' personal details. However, in those circumstances, the Department will remain as the legal data controller with ultimate responsibility for ensuring that personal details are kept confidential.

Jobcentre Plus: Airdrie

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time vacancies were advertised in Jobcentre Plus offices in Airdrie and Shotts constituency on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Mark Hoban: The following figures have been sourced from the Universal Jobmatch system and relate to active full time and part time jobs as at 25 March 2013 in the towns of Airdrie and Shotts.
	
		
			 Airdrie active jobs as at 25 March 2013 
			  Number 
			 Full-time 51 
			 Part-time 12 
			 Unknown 4 
		
	
	
		
			 Shotts active jobs as at 25 March 2013 
			  Number 
			 Full-time 8 
			 Part-time 0 
			 Unknown 0

Jobcentre Plus: Internet

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 21 March 2013, Official Report, column 753W, on universal credit, if he will (a) estimate the furthest distance a universal credit claimant will be from an internet access device that will be installed in jobcentres and (b) estimate the number of free community access points that could be used by people in receipt of universal credit in (i) Glasgow North West constituency, (ii) Glasgow, (iii) Scotland and (iv) the UK.

Mark Hoban: It is not our intention to carry out such an estimate. There are many different ways for claimants to access the internet. Local libraries and Jobcentres are just two examples of places that claimants could gain free access to the internet.
	According to the Office of National Statistics 80% of households in Great Britain have internet access:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/rdit2/internet-access---households-and-individuals/2012/stb-internet-access--households-and-individuals--2012.html

Jobcentre Plus: Wigan

Yvonne Fovargue: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what training has been made available to Jobcentre Plus staff in Wigan to promote understanding of upcoming benefit reforms.

Mark Hoban: There are many activities under way to support Jobcentre Plus staff in Wigan in understanding the upcoming benefit reforms. This includes general awareness presentations for all staff, role specific training, a range of e-learning packages, team discussions around case studies, process walkthroughs, staff forums and interview technique refresher training.

Jobcentre Plus: Wigan

Yvonne Fovargue: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what extra (a) resources for staff and computers and (b) access points are being made available to Jobcentre Plus in Wigan.

Mark Hoban: We are currently considering what resources are required in the staged roll out of universal credit.

Jobseeker's Allowance

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the 50 jobcentres with the highest number of applications of sanctions over jobseeker's allowance in the last 18 months, by number of such applications.

Mark Hoban: The information requested is not currently available. The official statistics published on the tabulation tool contain JSA sanctions and disallowances up to and including 21 October 2012. After this date new regulations introduced a regime of fixed period sanctions, which replaced the existing sanction rules and moved claimants closer to the sanction regime planned for universal credit in 2013.
	We aim to publish the JSA sanctions statistics on this new regime in May 2013, and on a quarterly basis thereafter. In the light of the recent interest in this area we will publish these statistics at Jobcentre Plus office level. At the same time we aim to publish a complete time series of JSA sanctions to 21 October 2012, at Jobcentre Plus office level.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many sanctions were issued to recipients of jobseeker's allowance in each (a) Jobcentre Plus district and (b) Jobcentre Plus office in each of the last three years.

Mark Hoban: The information is as follows:
	(a) Information on how many sanctions were issued annually to recipients of jobseeker's allowance in Great Britain and each Jobcentre Plus district from 1 January 2010 to 21 October 2012 is in the following table.
	
		
			 Number(1) of jobseeker's allowance (JSA) sanctions applied(2) in Great Britain by Jobcentre Plus district and year of decision(3): 1 January 2010 to 21 October 2012 
			  Year of decision(3) 
			  2010 2011 2012 
			 Great Britain 684,030 668,790 680,180 
			     
			 Jobcentre Plus District    
			 Birmingham and Solihull 22,190 21,500' 23,140 
			 Black Country 18,900 23,130 22,090 
			 Staffordshire and Shropshire 13,660 14,620 16,020 
			 Mercia 14,670 17,800 19,420 
			 Derbyshire 12,730 12,860 14,000 
			 Leicestershire and Northamptonshire 15,740 17,700 16,810 
			 Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Rutland 21,770 21,310 20,940 
			 East Anglia 24,570 23,180 20,260 
			 Essex 16,660 14,580 17,720 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire 12,430 14,390 16,020 
			 South London 34,050 31,410 35,610 
			 North London 22,730 21,530 20,850 
			 West London 32,570 29,420 24,190 
			 East London 29,270 26,670 33,720 
			 Kent 18,220 16,890 18,440 
			 Durham and Tees Valley 18,050 13,590 12,240 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear 21,900 16,290 15,500 
			 South Yorkshire 18,850 20,330 24,350 
			 North East Yorkshire and the Humber 18,020 17,530 21,050 
			 West Yorkshire 25,200 31,290 29,620 
			 Greater Manchester East and West 27,440 23,430 24,210 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire 26,110 26,320 27,390 
			 Merseyside 24,820 21,750 22,580 
			 Greater Manchester Central and Cheshire 21,940 22,250 20,970 
			 East and South East Scotland 15,830 14,640 18,170 
			 North of Scotland 9,140 9,930 10,330 
			 West of Scotland 14,700 11,610 13,340 
			 Glasgow, Lanarkshire and East Dunbartonshire 16,600 17,510 17,550 
			 Devon and Cornwall 11,750 10,710 9,680 
			 Thames Valley 14,150 16,480 12,800 
			 Surrey and Sussex 15,950 15,940 12,300 
		
	
	
		
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight 14,420 12,640 12,500 
			 Wessex 9,790 11,610 11,970 
			 West of England and Gloucestershire 11,340 10,070 8,950 
			 South East Wales 15,810 15,080 15,190 
			 North and Mid Wales 9,810 7,930 7,130 
			 South West Wales 11,150 13,790 12,080 
			 Unknown 1,100 1,070 1,040 
			 (1) Figures are rounded to the nearest 10."-" denotes nil or negligible. Some additional disclosure control has been applied. Totals may not sum due to rounding method used. (2) Sanctions applied: The number of sanctions applied is the number of Varied(4), Fixed Length(5) and Entitlement Decision(6) referrals where the decision was found against the claimant between 1 January 2010 and 21 October 2012. (3) Year of decision: The year in which the decision to apply a sanction was made. The year 2012 only includes data up to and including 21 October, where this is the latest data available. (4) Varied Length sanctions: A sanction of between one week and 26 weeks is imposed for leaving employment voluntarily without just cause, refusing employment without good cause, or losing employment through misconduct. The actual period in each case is at the discretion of the Adjudication Officer who makes the decision. (5) Fixed Length sanctions: A sanction of between one week and 26 weeks is imposed for refusal, without good cause, to attend an employment programme or carry out a Jobseeker's Direction. Payment of benefit continues in full pending the Adjudication Officer's decision on a sanction question. (6) Entitlement Decisions: These are questions on which entitlement to JSA depends. For example, if there is doubt around whether the Jobseeker's agreement (JSAg) is suitable, whether they are actively looking for work or making themselves available for work. In most cases payment of JSA will be suspended by benefit processing until the doubt is resolved. Source: DWP Information, Governance and Security Directorate: JSA Sanctions and Disallowance Decisions Statistics Database 
		
	
	(b)The information requested is not currently available.
	The official statistics published on the Tabulation Tool contain JSA sanctions and disallowances up to and including 21 October 2012. After this date new regulations introduced a regime of fixed period sanctions, which replaced the existing sanction rules and moved claimants closer to the sanction regime planned for universal credit in 2013.
	We aim to publish the JSA sanctions statistics on this new regime in May 2013, and on a quarterly basis thereafter. In the light of the recent interest in this area we will publish these statistics at Jobcentre Plus office level. At the same time we aim to publish a complete time series of JSA sanctions to 21 October 2012, at Jobcentre Plus office level.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 27 February 2013, Official Report, column 555W, on jobseeker's allowance, from what date all sanctions for failing to meet work-related requirements will be notified to claimants in writing.

Mark Hoban: All sanction decisions are notified to claimants in writing and include details of the claimant's rights of reconsideration and appeal. These notifications are generated from the jobseeker's allowance payment system when the details of the sanction decision are input into the system and are issued to claimants by post.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what guidance he issues on reasonable circumstances for failing to meet a work-related requirement in relation to a claim of jobseeker's allowance; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what guidance his Department issues on reasonable grounds for a jobseeker's allowance claimant failing to (a) attend an appointment and (b) fulfil their job search requirements.

Mark Hoban: Guidance relating to the reasonable circumstances for failing to meet a work related requirement, including attending an appointment and fulfilling job search requirements, is contained within the Labour Market Conditions Guide and the Decision Makers Guide.
	The Labour Market Conditions Guide details the specific circumstances that can be accepted by a Jobcentre Adviser for these failures without further consideration by a Decision Maker. The Labour Market Conditions Guide also details those situations, specified in the Jobseeker's Allowance Regulations, where a claimant can be treated as if they had met the requirements.
	Where cases are referred to a Decision Maker for consideration, the Decision Maker's Guide details the factors that must be taken into account when determining whether or not a claimant had reasonable grounds for their failure.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps a jobcentre adviser must take before stopping the payment of jobseeker's allowance following failure to attend an appointment.

Mark Hoban: If a claimant fails to attend an appointment they have five working days in which to contact the office and provide their reason(s) for not attending.
	In most cases no further action is taken at this point. However, if the claimant concerned has childcare responsibilities, at least one attempt is made to contact them by telephone and if that is not possible, a letter is sent advising them of the five working day limit in which to make contact.
	If a claimant does not make contact within the required timeframe, their claim is terminated in accordance with the jobseeker's allowance regulations.
	If a claimant makes contact within the required timeframe, their explanation for not attending the appointment is obtained and considered, initially by the jobcentre adviser and if necessary, by a decision maker.
	If the explanation given is found to be unreasonable, the claimant is notified that their benefit will be sanctioned.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of jobseeker's allowance claimants received benefit sanctions (a) in the UK, (b) in each parliamentary constituency and (c) through each jobcentre in each of the last four years; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: Information on how many jobseeker's allowance (JSA) claimants received benefit sanctions (a) in Great Britain, (b) in each parliamentary constituency from 1 January 2009 to 31 May 2012 has been placed in the Library.
	Information on (c) how many JSA claimants received benefit sanctions through each jobcentre in each of the last four years is not currently available.
	The official statistics published on the Tabulation Tool contain JSA sanctions and disallowances up to and including 21 October 2012. After this date new regulations introduced a regime of fixed period sanctions, which replaced the existing sanction rules and moved claimants closer to the sanction regime planned for universal credit in 2013.
	We aim to publish the JSA sanctions statistics on this new regime in May 2013, and on a quarterly basis thereafter. In the light of the recent interest in this area we will publish these statistics at Jobcentre Plus office level. At the same time we aim to publish a complete time series of JSA sanctions to 21 October 2012, at Jobcentre Plus office level.

Jobseeker's Allowance: Scotland

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of sanctions imposed on jobseeker's allowance claimants in Scotland resulted from the recommendations of Work programme providers between April 2012 and March 2013.

Mark Hoban: Statistics on what proportion of fixed and varied length sanctions imposed on jobseeker's allowance claimants in Scotland resulted from the recommendations of Work programme providers between April 2012 and October 2012 can be found at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?pageMabtool
	Guidance for users is available at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/tabtools/guidance.pdf

Jobseeker's Allowance: Scotland

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of sanctions imposed on jobseeker's allowance claimants in Scotland resulted from a failure to meet a work-related requirement made by a Work programme provider between April 2012 and March 2013.

Mark Hoban: The information requested is not available.

Labour Market: North East

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the labour market in the North East; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: Official labour market figures are published by the Office for National Statistics. Latest estimates show employment in the north-east up 12,000 in the year to November 2012 to January 2013, with ILO unemployment down 12,000 over the same period. The region's employment rate rose 0.5 percentage points on the year, to 67.2%, and its unemployment rate fell 0.9 points to 9.8%.
	Claimant count figures (February 2013) show the number of people on jobseeker’s allowance in the north-east falling for the fourth consecutive month, down 1,100 to 92,000, but 600 higher than a year earlier. The latest figures for those claiming incapacity or lone parent benefits show a fall of 10,000 in the year to August 2012 to 164,000.

Members: Correspondence

Andrew Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answer of 1 February 2013, Official Report, column 1020W, on Members: correspondence, when he intends to provide Mr Tolen with a substantive reply to his letter of 6 December 2012.

Mark Hoban: The pensions director, Graeme Wallace, replied to Mr Tolen's correspondence on behalf of the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on 4 February 2013.

National Insurance Contributions: Part-time Employment

Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of people working 17 hours per week who are paying voluntary Class 3 National Insurance contributions.

Mark Hoban: The information requested is not available.

Notification of Conventional Tower Cranes Regulations 2010

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the number of (a) fatalities and (b) injuries averted by the Notification of Conventional Tower Cranes Regulations 2010 to date.

Mark Hoban: No such assessment has been made in these terms. The Health and Safety Executive's view, based on their experience, is that these regulations are not needed to protect health and safety.

Pension Credit

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the number of pensioners who did not claim pension credit to which they were entitled in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of pensioners in (a) Scotland and (b) Airdrie and Shotts constituency who have not claimed the pension credit to which they were entitled in the last year.

Steve Webb: The Income Related Benefits: Estimates of Take-up report covers Great Britain for the financial year 2009-10. It provides caseload and expenditure estimates of take-up for income support and employment and support allowance (income-related), pension credit, housing benefit (including local housing allowance), council tax benefit and jobseeker's allowance (income- based). The latest release updates the statistics previously released on 10 June 2010. The figures are available online and can be found here:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=irb
	Estimates of take-up are not available for 2010-11 or 2011-12 nor are they sufficiently robust to present at Geographies below Great Britain. As such estimates are not available for Airdrie and Shotts constituency.

Recruitment

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department spent on advertising job vacancies in (a) 2005, (b) 2006, (c) 2007, (d) 2008 and (e) 2009.

Mark Hoban: Over the five-year period 2005 to 2009 most DWP vacancies were advertised through overall resourcing packages that included the cost of advertising job vacancies. This cost was not separately itemised and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

School Meals

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he has met the authors of the School Food Plan to discuss its recommendations on school meals.

Mark Hoban: The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Mr Duncan Smith), has not met the authors of the School Food Plan to discuss its recommendations on schools meals.

Sign Language

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department plans to bring forward proposals to give statutory protection to British Sign Language (BSL) and to take steps to remove barriers to communication by BSL users in the provision of services, training and employment.

Esther McVey: Good accessible services are the best ways to remove or overcome the barriers deaf people face. Existing equality legislation already means employers, service providers and public bodies have to provide services in BSL when it is reasonable to do so and we have no plans to introduce new legislation.
	The Government supports those wishing to learn BSL and therefore extend the pool of BSL interpreters. That is why we provide funds for the training of BSL interpreters. The Government also fully funds BSL training where it is needed to help unemployed people find work.
	Through Access to Work, funding pays for BSL Interpreters in the workplace, or at work-related meetings and conferences.

Social Security Benefits

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will consult with Ministers in the devolved Administrations to ensure that benefit uptake rates under the welfare reform changes are maximised across the UK.

Mark Hoban: Welfare reform is a UK issue. In relation to universal credit the complexity of the current benefit system makes it expensive and difficult to administer. This fuels error by administrators and claimants alike and reduces benefit take-up as people do not understand their entitlements.
	Universal credit will be a much simpler system. All elements will be assessed in a single claim which will remove the need to claim different means-tested benefits from different agencies. It will be easier for customers to understand their entitlements and easier to administer the system.
	As such the greater simplicity of universal credit is expected to significantly improve the take-up of currently unclaimed entitlements.

Social Security Benefits

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects to receive the report of the reviews of the ways in which claimants make inquiries about their benefits.

Mark Hoban: The My Benefits Online (MBOL) service will allow claimants to access details of their benefit claim, payment date or amount.
	The service was due to launch in December 2012. However, because of problems discovered while testing the service, the launch has been delayed.
	An additional review is now being carried out with Government Digital Services in order to ensure that users of the site receive the best possible service. If the outcome of the review is positive, we expect to launch the new service over the summer.

Social Security Benefits

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of reports about the Jobcentre Plus stricter benefit regime; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: Jobcentre Advisers do not make the decision to sanction a claimant's benefit. Advisers simply raise a doubt about the claimant's entitlement and submit evidence to a decision maker who is independent of the adviser and who reaches a decision based on evidence. All claimants have a right to an appeal to an independent tribunal. So if there was a target regime in Jobcentres, and there is not, it could not lead to inappropriate sanctions because decisions are made independently of advisers.
	The original Stricter Benefit Regime (SBR) was introduced in 1996 and refreshed in 2006. Until 2011 Jobcentres operated benchmark targets for referrals to the independent decision making regime.

Social Security Benefits

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many non-UK nationals are in receipt of (a) jobseeker's allowance, (b) employment and support allowance, (c) child tax credit, (d) carer's allowance, (e) income support allowance and (f) disability living allowance.

Mark Hoban: Information on the number of non-UK nationals in receipt of jobseeker's allowance, employment and support allowance, carer's allowance, income support and disability living allowance is not available. Her Majesty Revenue and Customs has the responsibility of child tax credit.
	We currently check nationality and immigration status of benefit claimants to ensure the benefit is paid properly and to prevent fraud. While this information is used, it is not recorded as part of the payment administrative systems.
	Looking forward, the Government is looking at ways to record nationality and immigration status of migrants who make a claim to universal credit so that we have more robust information about our claimants.

Social Security Benefits

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidance is given to Jobcentre Plus staff on the application of sanctions; and whether that guidance is publicly available.

Mark Hoban: There is a wealth of guidance available to Jobcentre Plus staff on the application of sanctions. The primary guidance products are the Labour Market Conditions Guide and the Decision Makers Guide.
	The Labour Market Conditions Guide details the conditions attached to the receipt of jobseeker's allowance, and the actions for advisers to take where they have doubts about a claimant meeting any of those conditions. This guidance is not published. The Decision Makers Guide details the considerations decision makers must make when determining whether or not a sanction should be applied, and includes details of the appropriate social security legislation and case law. The Decision Makers Guide is accessible through the DWP internet site:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/specialist-guides/decision-makers-guide/

Social Security Benefits

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what training Jobcentre Plus staff receive on the application of sanctions.

Mark Hoban: Depending on their job role, staff who deal with sanctions in respect of jobseeker's allowance receive up to 26 hours of training.

Social Security Benefits

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the process and timescales are for notifying a benefit claimant following the application of a sanction.

Mark Hoban: The first step in the process is an adviser in a jobcentre raises a doubt. Decision makers, independent of the adviser assess the evidence. If the decision maker concludes that a sanction should be applied to a jobseeker's allowance claimant, they send details of their decision to the appropriate benefit centre for input into the jobseeker's allowance payment system.
	Once a sanction decision has been input into the system, a letter is sent to the claimant the following day by second class post. The letter informs claimants they have the right to appeal against the sanction and that financial support may be available depending on their circumstances.

Social Security Benefits: Appeals

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the appeal process is when a benefit payment is stopped after a claimant fails to attend an appointment.

Mark Hoban: Where benefit entitlement terminates or a benefit award is reduced because of a failure to attend an appointment, the appeals process is as follows. The decision notification tells the claimant that they can appeal against the decision. If the claimant wishes to appeal, then he must write to the Department for Work and Pensions identifying the decision he is appealing against and giving his reason(s) for disagreeing with it; he has one month, extendable in certain circumstances by 12, to make this appeal.
	A decision maker will first consider whether the reason given provides grounds for changing (that is, revising) the decision; if not the appeal will be processed. This involves the Department providing a written response—an explanation of the reasons for the decision—to Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service, who administer appeal hearings, and the claimant (and their representative, should they have one). The claimant is then given the option of an oral or paper hearing. The decision of the tribunal can be further appealed to the Upper Tribunal on a point of law.

Social Security Benefits: Disability

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if his Department will undertake a cumulative impact assessment of the Welfare Reform Act on the lives of disabled people.

Esther McVey: The Government provides impact assessments of policy changes routinely, as required by the Equality Act.
	We are, however, limited in what can be done on the cumulative impact of all welfare policy changes on disabled people because of the complexity of the modelling required and amount of detailed information on individuals and families needed to estimate the interactions of a number of different policy changes. These policy changes will take place at different times up to 2017/18 on benefit caseloads which are dynamic. We cannot, for example, identify from survey data exactly who will be eligible for higher or lower rates of benefit following a new medical assessment, which will collect detailed information on individuals that is not available in a published survey.
	Due to these kinds of data limitations, neither HMT nor the IFS, who have both estimated and published the cumulative impact of tax and benefit reform since 2010, break down their results separately for the disabled population. The latest assessment of the cumulative impact of tax and benefit changes under the coalition for the whole population, provided by HMT, is published in Budget 2012.

Social Security Benefits: EU Nationals

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals relating to the entitlement to benefits for people from Romania and Bulgaria arriving in the UK from January 2014.

Mark Hoban: The Department already has robust rules and guidance in place. To further protect the integrity of the British benefits system and ensure it is not abused the Prime Minister has announced a number of changes currently in development. These include strengthening the habitual residence test, time limiting how long some migrants can claim benefits for, and closing loopholes exploited by some people who have no right to work in the UK.

Social Security Benefits: EU Nationals

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many EU nationals resident in the UK were receiving benefits after three months of residence in each of the last three years, by country of original benefit claim.

Mark Hoban: Information the number of EU nationals receiving benefits after three months residence is not available.
	We currently check nationality and immigration status of benefit claimants to ensure the benefit is paid properly and to prevent fraud. While this information is used, it is not recorded as part of the payment administrative systems.
	Looking forward, the Government is looking at ways to record nationality and immigration status of migrants who make a claim to universal credit so that we have more robust information about our claimants.

Social Security Benefits: Fraud

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (a) Airdrie and Shotts constituency, (b) Scotland and (c) each local authority area have been (i) investigated and (ii) prosecuted for benefit fraud in each of the last three years; and what the total amount was of benefit assessed as fraudulently claimed in that period.

Mark Hoban: This information is not available for the Airdrie and Shotts constituency or by each local authority area. The following table shows the number of investigations closed by the Department's Fraud Investigation Service (FIS), the number of prosecutions and the total amount of recoverable overpayments identified following FIS investigations in Scotland for the last three years.
	
		
			  Investigations closed Prosecutions Recoverable overpayments (£) 
			 2009-10 15,712 434 18,749,104.00 
			 2010-11 15,291 514 29,631,590.00 
			 2011-12 15,769 692 25,985,901.00

Social Security Benefits: Greater London

David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 12 March 2013, Official Report, column 205W, on social security benefits: Greater London, how many children he estimates will be affected by the benefit cap in each local authority area.

Steve Webb: A table showing a breakdown of the number of children in households that will be affected by the benefit cap in each local authority will be placed in the Library.
	Please note as the benefit cap will be applied through a phased roll-out from 15 April 2013 and at a national level from 15 July 2013, at present no households have been affected by the cap. The figures are consistent with the impact assessment published on the 16 July 2012. The figures in the table assume that the situation of these households will go unchanged, and they will not take any steps to either work enough hours to qualify for working tax credit, renegotiate their rent in situ, or find alternative accommodation. The Department is identifying and writing to all the households who are likely to be affected by the cap and we are offering advice and support through Jobcentre Plus, including, where appropriate, early access to the Work programme before the cap is introduced.
	Please note that household numbers are rounded to the nearest 100. Areas with fewer than 100 households affected are denoted by "..", as additional disclosure control has been applied to these areas. For this reason, figures will not sum to the total number of households affected in the July 2012 impact assessment for the household benefit cap.
	The disregarding of housing costs for those in supported exempt accommodation announced in the autumn statement can not be allocated geographically therefore this has not been removed from the estimates presented here.

Social Security Benefits: Scotland

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of people (a) who are not in employment and do not receive jobseeker's allowance or incapacity benefit and (b) who are not in employment and do not receive any Government support in (i) Scotland, (ii) Airdrie and Shotts constituency and (iii) North Lanarkshire local authority area.

Mark Hoban: The number of people not in employment in these areas, and the numbers claiming jobseeker's allowance, incapacity benefits or other out of work benefits, are shown in the table. The benefit figures will include small numbers who are working part-time work but retain some eligibility for benefit. Some people who are not in employment—such as full-time students, those bringing up a family or early retired—may not be eligible for benefits or may choose not to claim. They may receive support in other ways such as child tax credit, child benefit, housing benefit, or state pension.
	
		
			  Not in employment aged 16 to 64(1) Incapacity benefit (IB) or employment and support allowance (ESA)(2) Jobseeker's allowance (JSA)(3) Other out of work benefits(4) 
			  October 2011 to September 2012 August 2012 August 2012 August 2012 
			 Scotland 993,700 274,440 146,200 100,810 
			 Airdrie and Shotts 18,500 5,660 3,400 2,330 
			 North Lanarkshire 65,500 21,260 12,500 8,210 
			 (1) People aged 16 to 64 who do not have a job (unemployed or economically inactive) from the Annual Population Survey (APS). APS data are used for consistency across areas so will not match the latest, more timely, data available for Scotland as a whole. (2) Claimants of incapacity benefit, employment and support allowance or severe disablement allowance from the Work and Pensions Longitudinal Survey data (WPLS). (3) Claimant count data published by the Office for National Statistics, not seasonally adjusted (NSA) figures covering August 2012. More recent claimant count figures are available but would not be comparable with the data on other benefits which are currently available only up to August. (4) Lone parents claiming income support, carers and others on income related benefits from WPLS.

Social Security Benefits: Scotland

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the number of people (a) receiving disability living allowance and (b) expected to receive the personal independence payment in (i) Airdrie and Shotts constituency, (ii) Scotland and (iii) North Lanarkshire.

Esther McVey: The available information on personal independence payment is published in a reassessments and impacts briefing note. This can be found on the Department's website at:
	www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/pip-reassessments-and-impacts.pdf
	Information on current disability living allowance case loads at a parliamentary constituency, regional and local authority level can. also be found on the Department's website at:
	http://83.244.183.180/100pc/tabtool.html

Social Security Benefits: Wales

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (a) Ynys Mon, (b) Gwynedd, (c) Conwy, (d) Denbighshire, (e) Flintshire and (f) Wrexham local authority areas are claiming (i) housing benefit non-dependant deductions, (ii) council tax benefit non-dependant deductions, (iii) contribution-based employment and support allowance (ESA) and (iv) youth provision of ESA.

Steve Webb: The information requested regarding non-dependent deductions is not currently available, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Statistics for the number of people receiving contribution based employment support allowance including those aged under 25 is published at
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=tabtool

State Retirement Pensions: Females

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 28 January 2013, Official Report, column 667, if under his pension proposals the 430,000 women in the UK born between 6 April 1952 and 6 July 1953 delay their retirement in order to retire at the same age as a man, they will be treated in the same way and receive the same entitlements as a man.

Steve Webb: On 19 March I announced that the single-tier pension will now be introduced in 2016. This means that women born on and after 6 April 1953 will reach their state pension age after the introduction of the single-tier pension.
	Women (and men) who reach state pension age before 6 April 2016 will receive a state pension in line with the rules of the current system.
	Therefore, women born between 6 April 1953 and 5 July 1953 (totalling approximately 85,000) will be covered by the rules of the single-tier system in the same way as a man born the same day. If they decide to defer drawing their state pension until they reach 65, they will be subject to the same deferral rules as a man born the same day and may achieve the same state pension valuation, depending on their national insurance record.
	Women born between 6 April 1952 and 5 April 1953 will be covered by the rules of the current system. Around 85% of the women in this cohort would receive more in lifetime state pension and other benefits by drawing their state pension at their legislated state pension age under the current system than they would if they had a state pension age of 65 and received a single-tier pension. If women in this cohort choose to defer until they reach 65, they will be able to increase their state pension entitlement but will still receive a pension based on the rules of the current system.

Unemployment Benefits: Foreign Nationals

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many non-EU nationals are paid unemployment benefits on the basis that the UK is their country of residence.

Mark Hoban: Information on the number of non-EU nationals who are paid unemployment benefits on the basis that the UK is their country of residence is not available.
	We currently check nationality and immigration status of benefit claimants to ensure the benefit is paid properly and to prevent fraud. While this information is used, it is not recorded as part of the payment administrative systems.
	Looking forward, the Government is looking at ways to record nationality and immigration status of migrants who make a claim to universal credit so that we have more robust information about our claimants.

Unemployment Benefits: Greater London

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Lewisham, Deptford constituency have received out-of-work benefits in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12 to date; and what proportion of such people have been the subject of sanctions leading to benefit cut-offs by (i) gender, (ii) ethnicity and (iii) disability.

Mark Hoban: Statistics on the number of people in Lewisham, Deptford constituency who were receiving out-of-work benefits in 2010-11 and 2011-12 by gender is available in the following table:
	
		
			 Number of out-of-work benefit claimants in Lewisham, Deptford parliamentary constituency by statistical group and gender: 2010, 2011 and 2012, as at August each year 
			 Statistical group/gender  2010 2011 2012 
			 All Total 12,250 12,330 11,880 
			  Female 6,250 6,320 6,170 
			  Male 6,000 6,010 5,710 
			      
			 Jobseekers allowance Total 4,080 4,550 4,350 
			  Female 1,410 1,790 1,790 
			  Male 2,680 2,760 2,560 
			      
			 Incapacity benefits Total 5,200 5,260 5,290 
			  Female 2,220 2,310 2,390 
			  Male 2,980 2,950 2,900 
			      
			 Lone parents Total 2,420 2,040 1,790 
			  Female 2,300 1,940 1,720 
			  Male 120 100 70 
			      
			 Carers Total 240 240 260 
			  Female 130 130 140 
			  Male 110 110 120 
			      
			 Other income related benefits Total 300 240 200 
			  Female 190 160 140 
			  Male 110 80 60 
			 Notes: 1. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Totals may not sum due to rounding. 2. Statistical Group is a hierarchical variable. A person who fits into more than one category will only appear in the top-most one for which they are eligible. 3. Out of work benefits which are included in this analysis are: Jobseekers allowance Employment and support allowance Incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance Income support 4. Incapacity benefit was replaced by employment and support allowance (ESA) for new claims from October 2008. 5. Durations shown are the longest claim duration of the benefits of interest. 6. The duration of claim reflects the longest out-of-work benefit claim for each person: For the Jobseekers statistical group this will be the length of the JSA claim. For the Lone Parent, Carer, and Others on income-related benefit statistical groups this will be the length of the IS claim. For the ESA and incapacity benefits claim this will be the length of the IB/SDA or ESA claim if the person is only claiming that benefit, or the oldest of either the IB/SDA/ESA and IS claim if the person is claiming a combination of these benefits. 7. August 2012 data are the latest available. Source: DWP Information, Governance and Security Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study. 
		
	
	Information on how many people in Lewisham, Deptford constituency have received out-of-work benefits in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12 to date by ethnicity and disability is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
	Information on what proportion of people in Lewisham, Deptford constituency who received out-of-work benefits in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011 -12 have been the subject of sanctions leading to benefit cut-offs is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Unemployment Benefits: North Lanarkshire

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (a) Airdrie and Shotts constituency and (b) North Lanarkshire local authority area have been in receipt of out-of-work benefits for (i) one year, (ii) two years, (iii) three years, (v) four years, (v) five years and (vi) 10 years at the most recent date for which figures are available.

Mark Hoban: The information requested on the number of people in receipt of out-of-work benefits in (a) Airdrie and Shotts constituency and (b) North Lanarkshire local authority by duration can be found in the following tables.
	Latest figures available: August 2012.
	
		
			 Airdrie and Shotts parliamentary constituency 
			  Total Jobseekers allowance Incapacity benefits Lone parents Carers Other income-related benefits 
			 All 10,300 3,150 5,660 1,030 360 100 
			 Up to 1 year 4,580 2,200 1,930 300 80 60 
			 1 to 2 years 1,450 720 480 190 60 10 
			 2 to 3 years 680 180 310 150 50 (1)— 
			 3 to 4 years 410 30 230 110 30 (1)— 
			 4 to 5 years 260 10 150 70 20 (1)— 
			 5 to 10 years 820 (1)— 640 120 60 10 
			 10 years and over 2,110 (1)— 1,930 90 70 10 
		
	
	
		
			 North Lanarkshire local authority 
			  Total Jobseekers allowance Incapacity benefits Lone parents Carers Other income-related benefits 
			 All 38,050 11,600 21,260 3,580 1,260 360 
			 Up to 1 year 16,790 8,140 7,060 1,070 300 220 
			 1 to 2 years 5,590 2,630 2,050 680 200 20 
			 2 to 3 years 2,470 670 1,170 470 150 20 
			 3 to 4 years 1,430 110 850 360 100 10 
			 4 to 5 years 970 40 600 250 70 10 
			 5 to 10 years 3,230 10 2,540 450 200 30 
			 10 years and over 7,560 (1)— 6,990 290 230 50 
			 (1) Denotes nil or negligible. Notes: 1. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10 and totals may not sum due to rounding. 2. Statistical group is a hierarchical variable. A person who fits into more than one category will only appear in the top-most one for which they are eligible. 3. Out-of-work benefits which are included in this analysis are: Jobseekers allowance; Employment and support allowance; Incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance; and Income support. 4. Incapacity benefit was replaced by employment and support allowance (ESA) for new claims from October 2008. 5. Durations shown are the longest claim duration of the benefits of interest. 6. The duration of claim reflects the longest out-of-work benefit claim for each person. For the jobseekers statistical group, this will be the length of the JSA claim. For the lone parent, carer and others on income-related benefit statistical groups, this will be the length of the IS claim. For the ESA and incapacity benefits claim, this will be the length of the IB/SDA or ESA claim if the person is only claiming that benefit, or the oldest of either the IB/SDA/ESA and IS claim if the person is claiming a combination of these benefits. Source: DWP Information, Governance and Security Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.

Universal Credit

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 6 March 2013, Official Report, column 1001W, on universal credit, what assessment he has made of the performance of his Department's work with (a) Digital Unite, (b) UK Online and (c) GoOn.

Mark Hoban: Digital Unite, UK Online and Go On have all got different contributions to make to the challenge of developing digital skills.
	(a) DWP has been a supporter of Digital Unite campaigns—such as Spring Online—that have helped encourage older people to get online.
	(b) DWP staff often arrange support from UK Online centres for jobseekers who need help in getting digital skills.
	(c) Go On has led campaigns such as Race Online that have been successful in encouraging people to see the benefits of the Internet and DWP have been a strong supporter of their campaigns.
	With all three organisations—and other organisations involved in supporting digital inclusion—we understand the importance of their support in our delivery of digital services including universal credit. Under the Freedom and Flexibility framework, which gives frontline staff more autonomy to deliver services tailored to the needs of their local areas, jobcentre managers can choose which providers to work with based on their performance and suitability for local needs; these partnerships are not centrally managed.

Universal Credit

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had with individuals and organisations on providing funding to increase public internet access provision prior to the introduction of universal credit.

Mark Hoban: We are in continuing discussions with a wide range of organisations about online applications for universal credit.
	The universal credit local support services framework, produced collaboratively between DWP and local authorities, sets out the principles for providing support through a network of local services, including support for those who need help with making online applications, and invites views from charities and other organisations.
	The Department has installed a total of 2167 new internet access devices (IADs) in Jobcentres for those who do not have their own computer, and we will ensure that digital skills are a key part of the support offered to jobseekers to help them back to work.

Universal Credit

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he has taken to increase investment in publicly accessible computers to ensure that universal credit claimants are able to manage their entitlements.

Mark Hoban: We are in continuing discussions with a wide range of organisations about online applications for universal credit.
	The universal credit local support services framework, produced collaboratively between DWP and local authorities, sets out the principles for providing support through a network of local services, including support for those who need help with making online applications, and invites views from charities and other organisations.
	The Department has installed a total of 2167 new internet access devices (IADs) in Jobcentres for those who do not have their own computer, and we will ensure that digital skills are a key part of the support offered to jobseekers to help them back to work.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department spent on IT development and implementation for universal credit in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13.

Mark Hoban: I refer the right hon. Member to the reply I gave to his previous question (PQ 147641) on 13 March 2013, Official Report, columns 276-77W.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what representations he has received from charitable organisations on the status of exempt accommodation under universal credit; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Webb: Ministers set out their intentions for the future treatment of supported “exempt accommodation” in their announcement to the Work and Pensions Select Committee on 17 September 2012.
	A wide range of providers of supported accommodation, including charitable organisations, have expressed their views about the proposals for reform since then and ministers and officials have had discussions with a number of them.

Universal Credit

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the telephony and face-to-face services available for claimants of universal credit will assist those unable to access services online to complete forms.

Mark Hoban: Yes, universal credit will provide support for those claimants unable to access online services. We recognise that some claimants do not have access to computers or will require support to transact online. Our plans are to provide claimants with support based on needs, either directly or indirectly through third parties.

Universal Credit

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the steps somebody who is blind or partially sighted would need to take to claim universal credit if they are unable to make or manage a claim online.

Mark Hoban: The universal credit online system has been built to Web Content Accessibility guidelines including assistive technologies in order for blind claimants to be able to use it.
	We will also offer alternative routes; via telephone where an agent will complete an online claim form on a claimants behalf or direct assistance in a local office, a local delivery partner or in, exceptional circumstances a home visit.
	The Local Service Support framework will provide an outline of localised support services including getting online, managing on a monthly budget and paying rent.

Universal Credit

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the local support services framework issued by his Department, how his Department plans to define the claimants who really need to use telephony and face-to-face services instead of an online process when claiming universal credit.

Mark Hoban: We are not seeking to provide a definition of which claimants will need to use telephony and face-to-face services instead of an online process when claiming universal credit. Any attempt to do so would risk some people with needs falling outside of any definitions and thus not receiving the help that they may need.

Work Capability Assessment

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what arrangements are in place to allow the reasons behind work capability assessment appeal decisions to be passed to Atos health care professionals.

Mark Hoban: Feedback from HMCTS in relation to Appeals comes in the form of a decision notice which indicates, from a drop down menu, the main reason for the Appeal being overturned and it may also include an indication of the ESA descriptors that have changed.
	This feedback is primarily used by the decision maker who dealt with the Appeal. These decision notices are not made available to Atos as the case will have been actioned by a decision maker and subsequently reconsidered by an independent decision maker at the dispute stage prior to the Appeal being heard.
	Regular meetings take place between DWP Operational Managers and Atos providers where cases can be discussed and any trends investigated.
	Regular meetings also take place between Atos and HMCTS where areas of concern can also be raised and investigated.

Work Programme: Greater London

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many residents of Lewisham, Deptford constituency have been referred to the Work Programme since its inception;
	(2)  how many residents of Lewisham, Deptford constituency who have been referred to the Work Programme since its inception have been placed in a job which generated a job outcome payment.

Mark Hoban: Statistics on how many residents of Lewisham, Deptford constituency have been referred to the Work programme since its inception to 31 July 2012 and how many have been placed in a job which generated a job outcome payment can be found at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=tabtool
	Guidance for users is available at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/tabtools/guidance.pdf

Workfare

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the total cost to the public purse was of historic Court of Appeal cases in respect of Workfare in terms of (a) legal bills and (b) compensation to claimants affected by judgment; and how many claimants were affected in each case.

Mark Hoban: EWCA Civ 66. In this case:
	(a) The Department's external legal costs in the Court of Appeal were £19,092.00.
	(b) No compensation has been paid to claimants affected by the judgment. Parliament has passed the Jobseeker's (Back to Work Schemes) Act 2013, which reverses the effects of the judgment and ensures that the Department for Work and Pensions does not have to repay benefit to people who were sanctioned for failing to participate in the relevant schemes without good reason.
	The case related to two claimants, Mr Wilson and Ms Reilly. The Court of Appeal has not heard any appeals in other like cases.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Aerospace Technology Institute

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills where the recently announced Aerospace Technology Institute will be located.

Michael Fallon: No decision has yet been made on the location of the Aerospace Technology Institute. However, as the Aerospace Industrial Strategy explains, it will consist of a small core team—probably 30-50 staff—primarily seconded from industry and academia. Their role will be to lead on the development of the strategy, prioritise areas for work, scope programmes, map UK capabilities and assess actions needed to strengthen them, as necessary. The research and technology activity, to be funded jointly by Government and industry, will be distributed across the UK benefiting a wide range of companies and universities.

Age: Discrimination

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with (a) trades unions and (b) major employers on age discrimination in the (i) workplace and (ii) hiring process.

Jo Swinson: There have been no recent discussions with trade unions or major employers on age discrimination in the workplace or hiring process, however, I met Age UK last September as part of a panel discussion with employers and representatives of the voluntary sector in the context of our proposals on flexible working. We intend to look at the impact of the removal of the default retirement age in 2016 and we will seek views and issues from all interested parties as part of that.

Apprentices

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of companies which offer apprenticeships are from the (a) public and (b) private sector.

Matthew Hancock: We do not measure a breakdown of the number of Apprenticeship starts in the public and private sector.
	Information on the number of Apprenticeship starts is published in a quarterly Statistical First Release (SFR), last published on 27 March 2013:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/Statistics/fe_data_library/Apprenticeships/

Arms Trade: Bahrain

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether Air-Vice Marshal Nigel Maddox discussed the sale of military equipment to Bahrain during his recent visit to that country.

Michael Fallon: In his role of Senior Military Adviser to UK Trade Investment Defence and Security Organisation, Air Vice Marshal Maddox has discussions about equipment requirements with military personnel and officials from many countries, including Bahrain.
	All export licence applications for the export of arms are assessed on a case by case basis against the Consolidated European Union and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria depending on the end-use and circumstances prevailing at the time of application.

Business: Advisory Services

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will take steps to promote the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales business advice service; and if he will make a statement. [R]

Michael Fallon: Through the Business in You campaign, my Department works closely with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) in promoting the value of business advice to small businesses and signposting useful sources. We have already featured the service as part of the Business in You campaign through social media and in newsletters to campaign subscribers. We will be promoting the ICAEW Business Advice Service month taking place this June and are currently in discussion with them about the most effective way to do this.

Business: Advisory Services

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive (a) orally and (b) in writing on the advice services to be offered by the proposed Government Business Bank.

Michael Fallon: Officials in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) have had discussions with officials in the Northern Ireland Executive about our overall plans for the Business Bank.
	As part of the work on the Business Bank programme, a more integrated service for high growth and specialist small and medium-sized enterprises in England is planned. As this service is developed in more detail, BIS officials will engage with officials in the devolved Administrations, on how it could link to the devolved Administrations' own dedicated advice services.

Business: East Midlands

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of companies with their registered office address in (a) Ashfield constituency, (b) Nottinghamshire and (c) the east Midlands which were (i) newly incorporated and (ii) dissolved in each year since 2001.

Michael Fallon: Companies House estimates that the number of companies with their registered office address in (a) Ashfield constituency, (b) Nottinghamshire, and (c) the east Midlands is as follows:
	
		
			  Incorporated Dissolved 
			 Ashfield constituency   
			 2001 492 250 
			 2002 688 331 
		
	
	
		
			 2003 1,155 271 
			 2004 805 355 
			 2005 806 446 
			 2006 871 437 
			 2007 965 507 
			 2008 864 445 
			 2009 826 974 
			 2010 851 730 
			 2011 1,065 671 
			 2012 1,037 646 
			 2013 270 140 
			    
			 Nottinghamshire   
			 2001 2,402 1,560 
			 2002 3,577 1,646 
			 2003 4,551 1,670 
			 2004 3,405 1,848 
			 2005 3,430 2,049 
			 2006 3,703 2,157 
			 2007 4,076 2,317 
			 2008 3,617 2,079 
			 2009 3,708 4,771 
			 2010 3,922 3,507 
			 2011 4,552 3,007 
			 2012 4,648 2,995 
			 2013 1,182 652 
			    
			 East midlands   
			 2001 19,697 12,226 
			 2002 29,426 14,348 
			 2003 38,066 14,174 
			 2004 29,359 15,530 
			 2005 31,569 17,086 
			 2006 34,665 18,835 
			 2007 39,952 19,989 
			 2008 34,865 17,795 
			 2009 36,302 42,864 
			 2010 39,097 31,632 
			 2011 43,597 28,494 
			 2012 47,135 28,903 
			 2013 11,659 6,571 
		
	
	These figures are estimates because Companies House derives its information from postcode areas, which can cross constituency, county, and regional boundaries.

Business: Loans

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether information gathered from the proposed data collection and management function of the new Government Business Bank will be shared with (a) the Scottish Government, (b) Scottish Enterprise and (c) COSLA.

Michael Fallon: The Government will first complete the design of the appropriate data management processes for the Business Bank, and will then decide what data can be shared, subject to data protection laws and regulations.

Climate Change

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether the claim that (a) every year since 1998 has been significantly warmer than the temperatures you would expect if there was no warming and (b) for the last three decades the rate of temperature increase is significant made by the Met Office in a climate science briefing sent to the chief scientific adviser on 8 February 2010 was supported by any statistical time-series analysis.

Michael Fallon: The full statements sent by the Met Office to the chief scientific adviser on 8 February 2010 are (a) every year since 1998 has been significantly warmer than the temperatures you would expect if there was no warming (baseline of 1861-1900) and (b) for the last three decades, the rate of temperature increase is significant even when uncertainties in the observations are factored in.
	These statements are based on analysis of HadCRUT3, the global temperature dataset compiled by the Met Office and the university of East Anglia’s climatic research unit.

Copyright

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the judgements in the cases of SGAE v Padawan and Stichting de Thuiskopie v Opus and their implications for his proposal contained in the Modernising Copyright document published on 20 December 2012 to introduce a private copying exception without compensation.

Jo Swinson: The two cases mentioned were taken into account when the private copying measure was developed. All of the measures set out in 'Modernising Copyright' will be implemented in accordance with European and international obligations and any relevant court judgments.

Copyright

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will publish any legal advice he has received on the possibility of introducing a follow-on designs exception into UK law.

Jo Swinson: There are no plans to publish such information.

Disclosure of Information

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many civil servants in his Department have been subject to non-disclosure agreements in each year since 2010.

Jo Swinson: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has interpreted the hon. Member's reference to ‘non-disclosure agreements’ to mean compromise agreements between the Department and individual members of staff, and CoT3 agreements—an ACAS conditional settlement form—resulting from Employment Tribunals.
	Our records show that 10 compromise agreements were concluded in the period from 1 January 2010 to date. We are unable to provide the data in individual years as this could enable identification of individuals and further potentially breach any agreement the Department has reached on confidentiality of individual circumstances.

Economic Growth: Republic of Ireland

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the joint statement made by the Prime Minister and the Taoiseach on 12 March 2012, what progress has been made on the joint evaluation of the depth of economic relations between the UK and Ireland and the opportunities for closer co-operation in support of growth; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Fallon: Taking forward the commitment made in the joint statement in March 2012, HM Government and Irish Government jointly commissioned an economic study into the value of the economic relationship between the UK and Irish economies.
	An interim report was delivered in advance of the recent summit in March 2013 between the Prime Minister and the Taoiseach and the full report is being finalised. As agreed at the latest summit, the study will provide evidence to support ongoing bilateral engagement across a range of policy areas.

Energy: Yorkshire and the Humber

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the value of the energy sector is to the economy in (a) Brigg and Goole constituency and (b) Yorkshire and the Humber.

Michael Fallon: The energy sector, defined as electricity, gas, steam and air-conditioning supply, contributed £19.4 billion gross value added (GVA) to the UK economy (1.5% of the UK total) in 2010.
	In the Yorkshire and Humber region this industry contributed £1.6 billion gross value added, or 1.8% of total GVA for this area. Estimates of gross value added are not available below regional level.

Executives: Pay

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to question 148120, what assessment has been made of the High Pay Centre's recent findings on the trends of top executives' pay and bonuses.

Jo Swinson: I thank the High Pay Centre for their important and continuing contribution to the debate on high pay. Their various findings bring greater clarity on the trends in top executives’ pay and call for high earners to engage in the debate about what constitutes a fair reward. The Government reforms to the governance of directors’ remuneration reporting will encourage companies and investors to engage more effectively, will boost transparency so that what executives are paid is clearer, and will give shareholders more power through binding votes.

Foreign Investment in UK

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much business was generated for (a) Northern Ireland and (b) UK companies as a result of the Global Investment Conference held in London in 2012.

Michael Fallon: We expect the benefits of the Global Investment Conference to be spread across all nations of the UK, including Northern Ireland.
	The Games were a unique opportunity to promote Britain as a place to do business, and we expect the benefits of this opportunity to be delivered both this year and in the years to come, including attracting new and retaining current foreign direct investment and infrastructure investment.
	UK Trade and Investment aims to realise £11 billion of business benefits for the UK economy in the next four years—part of the Government's 10 year plan to realise a wide reaching legacy from the Games. The £11 billion is expected from outcomes from the British Business Embassy and related events, securing high value opportunities and investment.

Higher Education: Admissions

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  which 20 universities admitted the most students (a) aged 25 years or more at the point of admission and (b) from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  which 20 UK universities admitted the most students (a) aged 25 years or more at the point of admission and (b) from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds in the latest period for which figures are available.

David Willetts: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects and publishes data on student enrolments at UK higher education institutions (HEIs).
	The 20 UK HEIs with the largest share of entrants aged 25 or more at the start of the academic year 2011/12 are shown in table 1.
	The 20 UK HEIs with the largest share of entrants from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds in the academic year 2011/12 are shown in table 2.
	
		
			 Table 1: Institutions ranked by percentage share of entrants(1) aged 25 or over(2), UK domiciled(3) full-time first degree entrants, UK higher education institutions, academic year 2011/12 
			 Rank HEI All entrants Percentage aged 25 and over (%) 
			 1 Glyndwr University 953 38 
			 2 University of the Highlands and Islands 459 37 
			 3 Birkbeck College 145 34 
			 4 London South Bank University 3,278 33 
			 5 University Campus Suffolk 1,397 32 
			 6 University of the West of Scotland 3,379 23 
			 7 University of West London 2,192 23 
		
	
	
		
			 8 St Georges Hospital Medical School 600 23 
			 9 University of East London 4,698 22 
			 10 Bishop Grosseteste University College Lincoln 606 21 
			 11 University College Plymouth St Mark and St John 823 20 
			 12 Edinburgh Napier University 2,697 20 
			 13 London Metropolitan University 5,515 20 
			 14 University of Salford 4,379 20 
			 15 Scottish Agricultural College 242 20 
			 16 University of Worcester 2,359 19 
			 17 Newman University College 634 19 
			 18 University of Greenwich 4,424 19 
			 19 University of Wolverhampton 4,202 18 
			 20 Teesside University 2,797 18 
			  All UK HEIs 394,585 10 
			 (1) Covers all students in their first year of study. (2) Age refers to the students’ age at the start of the academic year. (3) Domicile refers to a student’s permanent or home address prior to entry to their course. Note: Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population and have been rounded up or down to the nearest five, so components may not sum to totals. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) student record. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Institutions ranked by percentage share of entrants(1) from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds(2), UK domiciled(3) full-time first degree entrants, UK higher education institutions, academic year 2011/12 
			 Rank HEI Known ethnic background All entrants Of those with known ethnicity BAME (%) 
			 1 School of Pharmacy 168 170 95 
			 2 London Metropolitan University 5,467 5,515 69 
			 3 University of East London 4,644 4,698 69 
			 4 City University 1,776 1,793 64 
			 5 University of Bradford 2,599 2,614 64 
			 6 London South Bank University 3,219 3,278 62 
			 7 Aston University 1,513 1,525 60 
			 8 University of Westminster 3,864 3,974 59 
			 9 Middlesex University 4,197 4,280 59 
			 10 Brunel University 2,884 2,912 55 
			 11 Queen Mary and Westfield College 2,806 2,839 55 
		
	
	
		
			 12 University of West London 2,176 2,192 54 
			 13 Kingston University 5,283 5,317 52 
			 14 London School of Economics and Political Science 686 702 50 
			 15 University of Greenwich 4,358 4,424 50 
			 16 St Georges Hospital Medical School 597 600 49 
			 17 University of Buckingham 263 282 49 
			 18 School of Oriental and African Studies 560 575 48 
			 19 University of Hertfordshire 4,588 4,691 47 
			 20 University of Bedfordshire 3,642 3,668 47 
			  All UK HEIs 390,834 394,585 22 
			 (1) Covers all students in their first year of study. (2) The ethnicity of the student is on the basis of their own self-assessment. (3) Domicile refers to a student’s permanent or home address prior to entry to their course. Note: Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population and have been rounded up or down to the nearest five, so components may not sum to totals. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) student record.

Higher Education: Admissions

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many university applications made through UCAS came from students at grammar schools in each of the last five years.

David Willetts: The information is given in the following table.
	The classification of each educational establishment can change from cycle to cycle, which can affect year-on-year comparisons. A large number of grammar schools have converted to academies since 2010. While these schools have retained their selective admissions arrangements they are no longer classified as grammar schools in this data. Therefore, while the figures show the number of applicants from grammar schools has fallen over the past two years, this is largely as a result of the classification change.
	
		
			 UK domiciled applicants to UCAS by their school or college type 
			  Year of entry 
			 School/college type: 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 
			 Academies — — — — 36,292 
			 Further education 102,452 103,824 101,366 89,780 82,045 
		
	
	
		
			 Grammar school 32,318 33,602 33,305 31,982 21,786 
			 Higher Education 1,215 839 842 — — 
			 Independent 42,018 43,848 42,386 38,410 36,068 
			 Sixth form college 82,477 91,582 91,190 85,148 79,230 
			 State excl Grammar 156,901 170,112 166,030 156,505 118,395 
			 Other(1) 85,080 100,478 151,702 187,525 170,936 
			 Total 502,461 544,285 586,821 589,350 544,752 
			 (1) Includes applicants (including older applicants) who were not attached to a specific school or other educational establishment, and who applied directly to UCAS via their online application facility.

Higher Education: Scotland

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which Scottish higher education institutions (a) he and (b) the Minister of State for Universities have visited since May 2010.

David Willetts: I have visited the universities of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Strathclyde, Dundee, Abertay and Aberdeen since May 2010.
	The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), has visited the universities of Glasgow, Stirling, Edinburgh, Strathclyde and Heriot-Watt during the same period.

Higher Education: Scotland

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many and what amount of grants funding were awarded by each UK research council to each university in Scotland in each of the last five years.

David Willetts: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the right hon. Member for Edinburgh South West (Mr Darling), on 20 December 2012, Official Report, column 866W.

Higher Education: Scotland

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  which Scottish universities admitted the highest (a) number and (b) proportion of students from socio-economic classes four to seven in each of the last three years;
	(2)  how many students (a) aged 25 years or more at the point of admission and (b) from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds were admitted by each Scottish university in each of the last three years;
	(3)  which Scottish universities admitted the most students (a) aged 25 years or more at the point of admission and (b) from black and minority ethnic backgrounds in each of the last three years.

David Willetts: Higher education in Scotland is a devolved matter. This information should be requested from the Scottish Government, or directly from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), the body responsible for collecting information on higher education students at UK higher education institutions. More information on HESA can be found at
	http://www.hesa.ac.uk/

Insolvency Service: Stockton On Tees

James Wharton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether consideration was given to the top floor of Dunedin House, Stockton-on-Tees as a location for the Stockton Insolvency Service when the decision to relocate that office was made.

Jo Swinson: National Property Controls, as laid down by the Cabinet Office, ensure that Government Departments seek to relocate to existing surplus Government Estate in preference to using commercial leaseholds. The top floor of Dunedin House, Stockton-on-Tees, was not considered, as it is not on the Government Estate. The space was formerly occupied by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, but was handed back to their private finance initiative (PFI) providers, Mapeley, in 2009.

Land Registry

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the future of HM Land Registry; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Fallon: Land Registry faces significant new challenges. I have asked Land Registry to consider alternative commercial models that would enable them better to deliver on their new Business Strategy. If there were to be any proposal for a change in the status of the Land Registry, we would embark on a full and careful consultation. No decision has yet been made.

Local Enterprise Partnerships

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many local enterprise partnerships have a chair from a (a) local authority and (b) business.

Michael Fallon: Local enterprise partnership (LEP) board membership is a matter for LEPs themselves, although Government does request that LEP chairs and 50% of the LEP board should come from the business sector. Currently, all of the 39 local enterprise partnerships have a chair from the private sector.

Local Enterprise Partnerships

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many local enterprise partnerships have a representative from a further education college on their main board.

Michael Fallon: There are currently 14 local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) who have a representative from a further education college on their main board.
	Last year's autumn statement 5 December 2012, Official Report, columns 871-882, announced that LEPs will be given a role setting skills strategies consistent with national objectives and chartered status for FE colleges will reflect the extent to which they take account of the skills priorities of local LEPs. In addition, the Government will encourage LEPs to have a seat on FE colleges' governing bodies.

Minimum Wage

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what guidance is provided by HM Revenue and Customs to employers concerning compliance with the requirements of the national minimum wage for workers engaged in episodic work; and if he will make a statement.

Jo Swinson: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Redcar (Ian Swales) on 12 February 2013, Official Report, column 609W.

Overseas Trade: Eritrea

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assistance has been given to any UK companies trading with Eritrea in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Fallon: UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) has no active coverage of Eritrea, but commercial leads are posted via the UKTI Business Opportunities Service and some information is available on the UKTI website. UKTI's business multiplier stakeholders, such as the Eastern Africa Association, also give advice to companies where possible. Support from the British ambassador is available where advice or lobbying of the Eritrean Government is sought by a UK company. Limited interest has been shown by UK companies in the Eritrean market in the last three years.

Overseas Trade: South Korea

Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to promote bilateral trade between the UK and South Korea.

Michael Fallon: In recognition of the importance of the bilateral trade relationship between the UK and South Korea, we have designated South Korea as a high-growth market with an ambitious goal to double export trade by 2015.
	As a result of the EU-South Korea Free Trade Agreement which was ratified in July 2011, the UK has already seen a steady increase in exports. Korea is now ranked 16th largest destination for UK goods in 2012. 200 Korean companies have now set up in the UK including Doosan, Samsung, and LG Electronics.
	In February 2013 we delivered a week long programme "Opportunity Korea" to address knowledge gaps and inform British businesses of the opportunities Korea has to offer. Over 200 companies participated at events in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh and Bristol.
	We are also working to establish a Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) with Korea. Its aim will be to tackle market access issues and creating business opportunities for both British and Korean businesses.
	In addition to the above a series of trade missions and high level visits to South Korea will take place this year including a GREAT campaign to showcase trade and investment and knowledge.

Postal Services: Northern Ireland

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to safeguard universal Royal Mail service in Northern Ireland.

Michael Fallon: The Government is committed to securing the future of the universal postal service provided by Royal Mail, which is so important to our communities, society and the economy.
	Parliament has guaranteed, through the Postal Services Act 2011, the continuation of collection and delivery of letters six days a week throughout the UK at uniform affordable prices. The Act also gives the postal regulator, Ofcom, a clear statutory duty to secure the provision of the universal postal service and powers to intervene if the universal service is at risk.
	The steps we have taken so far to reform the regulatory framework and to support Royal Mail, coupled with securing access to private capital for the business, are the best way to safeguard the future of the one price goes anywhere universal service throughout the United Kingdom.

Postal Services: Visual Impairment

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much has been spent on the Royal Mail's articles for the blind service in each of the last five years.

Michael Fallon: This Government was the first to make free services for the blind one of the minimum requirements of the universal postal service. We did this in the Postal Services Act 2011 because of the importance we attached to these services.
	Provision of this service is an operational matter for Royal Mail. I have therefore asked their chief executive, Moya Greene, to respond directly to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Students: Finance

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students are currently in receipt of (a) grants towards their university fees and (b) non-repayable bursaries towards their maintenance costs.

David Willetts: In this academic year 2012/13, eligible English domiciled students are able to apply for tuition loans of up to £9,000 (or up to £6,000 at privately funded universities), means tested non-repayable maintenance grants of up to £3,250, and partly means tested maintenance loans of up to £5,500. Different maintenance loan rates are available for students studying in London or living at the parental home.
	The table shows a summary of the number of full-time applicants awarded student support who were domiciled in England in 2011/12, the latest year for which final data are available.
	
		
			 Number of applicants domiciled in England awarded full-time student support—Academic year 2011/12 
			 Product type Number of applicants (thousand) 
			 Maintenance loans 907.2 
			 Tuition fee loans 851.4 
			 Maintenance and special support grants(1) 579.9 
			 Tuition fee grants(2) 0.4 
			 HE grants(3) 0.3 
			 Disabled students allowance (DSA) (4)51.9 
			 Other targeted support 40.0 
			 Total 1,023.2 
			 (1 )Means-tested maintenance grants are available to students entering higher education from 2006/07. (2) Tuition fee grants are only available to students who began their study before the 2006/07 academic year, and have not been available to new students since then. (3) The Higher Education Grant was a type of maintenance grant. Students who entered in 2004/05 and 2005/06 were eligible for the grant (plus those who delayed entry until 2006/07 and registered in advance for a gap year). (4) Provisional figure. 
		
	
	Further information is available in the Student Loans Company's statistical release “Student Support for Higher Education in England, academic year 2012/13 (provisional)”
	http://www.slc.co.uk/media/525907/slcsfr052012.pdf
	Figures on the student support products available to students domiciled elsewhere in the UK are available from the respective Administrations.

Telephone Services

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills for each of the principal access numbers operated by (a) his Department and (b) the agencies for which he is responsible, what revenue has been retained by (i) the telephone provider for that line and (ii) his Department in each of the last three years.

Jo Swinson: No revenue has been retained by BIS for the use of its principal access number. The telephone provider has charged £562.48 for the use of the line over the last three years.
	I have approached the Chief Executives of the Department's Executive Agencies (Insolvency Service, Companies House, National Measurement Office, Intellectual Property Office, UK Space Agency, Ordnance Survey, Met Office, Land Registry and the Skills Funding Agency) and they will respond to the right hon. Member directly.
	Letter from Peter Mason, dated 26 March 2013
	I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office (NMO) to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 21 March 2013, asking the Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) about revenue retained in respect of principal access numbers.
	NMO does not offer any premium rate telephone numbers to the public and therefore no revenue is retained in this respect by NMO, BIS or the telephone provider (Maintel).
	Letter from Tim Moss, dated 22 March 2013
	I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled 21 March 2013, to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, UIN 149986.
	Companies House has only one principal access number, currently 0303 1234500. We cannot comment on what revenue is retained by the telephone provider for that line as this is part of the commercial arrangement between it and the other telephone companies. However, Companies House has not retained any revenue from the use of its principal access number in any of the last three years.
	Letter from Emma Lord, dated 22 March 2013
	Thank you for your question addressed to the Secretary of State for the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills asking for each of the principal access numbers operated by (a) his Department and (b) the agencies for which he is responsible, what revenue has been retained by (i) the telephone provider for that line and (ii) his Department in each of the last three years.
	The UK Space Agency uses the BIS enquiry number for public calls and therefore information relating to calls for the UK Space Agency will be included in any figures BIS have provided.
	Letter from Kim Thorneywork, dated 4 April 2013
	Thank you for your question in asking the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, for each of the principal access numbers operated by his Department and the agencies for which he is responsible, what revenue has been retained by (i) the telephone provider for that line and (ii) his Department in each of the last three years.
	Please be advised that the Non Geographic telephone numbers used by the Skills Funding Agency are not subject to a revenue sharing agreement; so neither the telephone provider, or the Agency have retained revenue during the last three years.
	Letter from John Alty, dated 25 March 2013
	I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 21 March 2013, to the Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	The Intellectual Property Office does not have any premium rate numbers. As such there is no revenue to be retained by the Office or the provider.
	The Intellectual Property Office operates a main contact number (0300 300 200) this costs no more than a national rate call to an 01 or 02 number and 03 numbers also count towards any inclusive minutes in a phone contract in the same way as 01 and 02 calls.
	Alternatively, we can be contacted via our switchboard (01633 81400) at standard rates.
	Letter from Malcolm Dawson, dated 3 April 2013
	I write on behalf of Land Registry in response to Parliamentary Question 149986 tabled on 21 March 2013 which asked the following:
	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, for each of the principal access numbers operated by (a) his Department and (b) the agencies for which he is responsible, what revenue has been retained by (i) the telephone provider for that line and (ii) his Department in each of the last three years?
	I can confirm that Land Registry does not have any revenue generating numbers across the department.
	I hope this information is useful.
	Letter from John Hirst, dated 8 April 2013
	I am replying on behalf of the Met Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 21 March 2013, UIN 149986 to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	The Met Office can be contacted any time of the day or night, by telephone, fax, email, and social media, through our Weather Desk. The principal access telephone numbers for the Met Office Weather Desk are 01392 885680 or 0870 900 0100.
	The Met Office has not retained any revenue from the operation of these lines in each of the last three years and holds no information about whether any revenue has been retained by the providers of these lines.
	I hope this helps.
	Letter from Dr Vanessa Lawrence CB, dated 9 April 2013
	As Director General and Chief Executive of Ordnance Survey, I have been asked to respond to your Parliamentary Question asking the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, "for each of the principal access numbers operated by (a) his Department and (b) the agencies for which he is responsible, what revenue has been retained by (i) the telephone provider for that line and (ii) his Department in each of the last three years".
	Ordnance Survey's principal access numbers (08456 05 05 05 (English) and 08456 05 05 04 (Welsh)) are non-geographic basic-rate services. Our provider, TalkTalk Group PLC, is entitled to receive a small revenue share premium but at the time of writing we have not been able to obtain information from the company on the total revenue retained. Ordnance Survey receives no revenue from these calls.
	I hope this information is helpful.
	Letter from Dr Richard Judge, dated 9 April 2013
	The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills has asked me to reply to your question, for each of the principal access numbers operated by (a) his Department and (b) the agencies for which he is responsible, what revenue has been retained by (i) the telephone provider for that line and (ii) his Department in each of the last three years.
	The Insolvency Service operates two 0845 numbers, 0845 6029848 and 0845 601 3546. All of the revenue is retained by the telephone providers for those lines.
	We do not retain information on what revenue has been retained by the telephone providers for these lines, and the cost of obtaining the information would be disproportionate.

Telephone Services

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which telephone lines are operated by (a) his Department and (b) the agencies for which he is responsible for public enquiries or other services; what the (i) principal access number and (ii) telephone service provider is for each number; and which such lines (A) are free to the caller and (B) may incur a charge to the caller.

Jo Swinson: The principal access number for BIS is 0207 215 5000 and is supplied by Level 3 Communications. Calls to the number are charged at the national rate.
	I have approached the chief executives of the Department's executive agencies (Insolvency Service, Companies House, National Measurement Office, Intellectual Property Office, UK Space Agency, Ordnance Survey, Met Office, Land Registry and the Skills Funding Agency) and they will respond to the hon. Member directly.
	Letter from Peter Mason, dated 26 March 2013
	I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office (NMO) to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 21 March 2013, asking the Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills about telephone lines for public enquiries or other services.
	NMO operates telephone lines for its main switchboard and for automated enquiries concerning enforcement. The principal access numbers for these are 020 8943 7272 and 020 8943 7227 respectively, and the telephone service provider for both numbers is Maintel. NMO does not have any lines which are free to the caller and all calls to NMO are chargeable at the standard call charge.
	Letter from Tim Moss, dated 22 March 2013
	I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled 21 March 2013, to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, UIN 150009.
	Companies House's principal access number is 0303 1234500 and the telephone service provider is Siemens PLC. Callers to this line will incur a charge at the equivalent of a national rate call. This means that the charge made is dependent on the charges incurred by (he customer from their own provider. If their plan is inclusive of national calls, then calls to Companies House will also be inclusive and not incur any additional charges.
	Letter from Emma Lord, dated 22 March 2013
	Thank you for your question addressed to the Secretary of State for the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills asking which telephone lines are operated by (a) his Department and (b) the agencies for which he is responsible for public enquiries or other services; what the (i) principal access number and (ii) telephone service provider is for each number; and which such lines (A) are free to the caller and (B) may incur a charge to the caller.
	The UK Space Agency uses the BIS public enquiry number for public enquiries. The access number is 020 7215 5000. The UK Space Agency cannot provide information relating to the provider and whether the lines incur a charge as this information is held by BIS and would be provided within their return.
	Letter from Kim Thorneywork, dated 4 April 2013
	Thank you for your question in asking the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, which telephone lines are operated by his Department and the agencies for which he is responsible for public enquiries or other services; what the (i) principal access number and (ii) telephone service provider is for each number; and which such lines are free to the caller and may incur a charge to the caller.
	Please be advised that the Skills Funding Agency has four non-geographic telephone numbers for public enquiries and other services:
	Skills Funding Agency (main Number)—0845 377 5000
	Professional and Career Providers Helpline—0845 000 0045 (advises callers to re-dial a new number for this service)
	Data Service—0870 267 0001
	Skills Funding Agency (internal) IT Helpdesk—0870 496 1111
	The principal access number is 0845 377 5000
	The telephone service provider is Level 3 Communications Ltd.
	All of the non geographic telephone numbers listed above incur a charge to the caller.
	Letter from John Alty, dated 25 March 2013
	I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 21 March 2013, to the Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	The Intellectual Property Office operates a main contact number (0300 300 200); this costs no more than a national rate call to an 01 or 02 number and 03 numbers also count towards any inclusive minutes in a phone contract in the same way as 01 and 02 calls.
	The service is provided via Virgin Media.
	Letter from Malcolm Dawson, dated 3 April 2013
	I write on behalf of Land Registry in response to Parliamentary Question 150009 tabled on 21 March 2013 which asked the following:
	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, which telephone lines are operated by (a) his Department and (b) the agencies for which he is responsible for public enquiries or other services; what the (i) principal access number and (ii) telephone service provider is for each number; and which such lines (A) are free to the caller and (B) may incur a charge to the caller
	Our principal access number for public enquiries is 0844 892 1111. The service provider for this number is British Telecom. Land Registry operates this service on the lowest possible tariff for the customer, lower than the national call rate. Land Registry receives no revenue from this service.
	I hope this information is useful.
	Letter from John Hirst, dated 8 April 2013
	I am replying on behalf of the Met Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 21 March 2013, UIN 150009 to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	The public can access the Met Office Weather Desk with weather related enquiries, any time of the day or night, by telephone, fax, email, and social media. To contact the Weather Desk by telephone, the public can choose to call either 01392 885680 or 0870 900 0100. These lines are provided by BT, through the Defence Fixed Telecommunications Service contract, and Cable and Wireless respectively. Callers to the Weather Desk may incur a charge depending on the contract the caller has with their telephone service provider, but no charge is made by the Met Office.
	In addition, the Met Office ‘Talk to a Forecaster’ service can be accessed through 0870 076 7890. This line is provided by Spoke. Talk to a Forecaster is a commercial service provided by the Met Office to its customers and prices are available on the Met Office website. Callers to this service may also incur a charge from their telephone service provider.
	I hope this helps.
	Letter from Dr Vanessa Lawrence CB, dated 9 April 2013
	As Director General and Chief Executive of Ordnance Survey, I have been asked to respond to your Parliamentary Question asking the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, “which telephone lines are operated by (a) his Department and (b) the agencies for which he is responsible for public enquiries or other services; what the (i) principal access number and (ii) telephone service provider is for each number; and which lines (A) are free to the caller and (B) may incur a charge to the caller”.
	Ordnance Survey has nine 0845 numbers that are available to the public. The two primary numbers are 08456 05 05 05 (English) and 08456 05 05 04 (Welsh). The remaining seven are used by customers who require more specialised information; an example being the OS OpenData helpline.
	All these lines are provided by TalkTalk Group PLC, and may incur charges but also may be covered by an inclusive calls package. From BT lines the charge is equivalent to a geographic number but other providers may charge more.
	I hope this information is helpful.
	Letter from Dr Richard Judge, dated 8 April 2013
	The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills has asked me to reply to your question, which telephone lines are operated by (a) his Department and (b) the agencies for which he is responsible for public enquiries or other services; what the (i) principal access number and (ii) telephone service provider is for each number; and which such lines (A) are free to the caller and (B) may incur a charge to the caller.
	The Insolvency Service operates the following public enquiry lines:
	Insolvency Enquiry Line 0845 6029848
	Insolvency Hotline 0845 601 3546
	The telephone lines are operated by BT and they both incur a charge to the caller.

Unemployment: Older People

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of people over the age of 50 who are unemployed in (a) Glasgow North West constituency, (b) Glasgow, (c) Scotland and (d) the UK.

Nick Hurd: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Cabinet Office.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated March 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking the Secretary of State for Business for the number of people over the age of 50 who are unemployed in (a) Glasgow North West constituency, (b) Glasgow, (c) Scotland and (d) the UK (150099).
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles unemployment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions. However, estimates of unemployment for the requested age band in Glasgow North West constituency and Glasgow are not available due to small sample sizes.
	As an alternative, in table 1, we have provided the number of persons claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) aged 50 years and over for the requested geographies for February 2013. The counts of people claiming JSA are those who are claiming benefits for unemployment related purposes. At a UK level the total number of JSA claimants is around two thirds of the total unemployment level.
	Table 2 shows the number of people in Scotland and the UK aged 50 and over who were unemployed, according to survey responses, in the 12 month period ending December 2012 from the APS. As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. A guide to the quality of the estimates is given in the tables based on survey results.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			 Table 1: Number of people aged 50 years and over claiming jobseeker's allowance, February 2013 
			  Number 
			 Glasgow North West 525 
			 Glasgow City 3,820 
			 Scotland 24,450 
			 United Kingdom 266,880 
			 Note: Data rounded to nearest five. Source: JobcentrePlus Administrative System 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Number of unemployed people aged 50 years and over, January 2012 to December 2012(1) 
			  Number (thousand) 
			 Scotland **34 
			 United Kingdom *396 
			 (1) Coefficients of Variation have been calculated as an indication of the quality of the estimates. See Guide to Quality: Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV - for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220. Key: * 0 = CV <5%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered precise ** 5 = CV <10%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 = CV <20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV ? 20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes Source: Annual Population Survey

Visits Abroad

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what details of (a) itineraries, (b) costs and (c) other aspects of overseas visits in support of trade and investment by Ministers in his Department are published (i) routinely and (ii) on request.

Michael Fallon: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the right hon. Member for Belfast North (Mr Dodds) on 26 March 2013, Official Report, column 1068W.

Vocational Training: Young People

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what specific proposals he has to ensure that young people between the ages of 19 to 24, classified as not in education, employment or training, will benefit from a substantial number of traineeships when the traineeships scheme is introduced.

Matthew Hancock: We intend shortly to set out our approach to the delivery of traineeships. This will build on the positive feedback my Departments have received from a wide range of organisations and individuals in response to the Traineeships Discussion Paper we published in January.

Work Experience

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many employers provide (a) work experience placements and (b) internships to people aged between 19 and 24; and what proportion are in the (i) public and (ii) private sector.

Matthew Hancock: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills recognises that work experience and internships can provide valuable opportunities for young people to gain vital experience in the labour market and we welcome the diverse and numerous opportunities which both public and private employers provide. We continue to encourage employers to provide work experience and internship opportunities.
	There are no single legal definitions of work experience or internships, and therefore no definitive comprehensive data source on overall numbers. So, therefore, the Government does not hold information about the numbers of work experience opportunities offered in the public and private sectors.